How to Say “I Want Someone to Do Something” in Japanese | Using V-て + ほしい

level2 (N4)
How to Say “I Want Someone to Do Something” in Japanese | Using V-て + ほしい
Source: gokigen japanese official YouTube Channel

Introduction

Want to say things like:

  • “I want my friend to come”?
  • “I wanted my mom to pick me up”?
  • “I don’t want that person to speak”?

In Japanese, when you want someone else to do something for you, you use:

Person + に + V-て + ほしい(です)
= I want (person) to do ~

Let’s learn how to express your wishes toward others naturally and politely in Japanese!


1. Grammar Structure

Pattern: [Person] + に + [V-て form] + ほしい(です)

EnglishJapanese
I want Jun to come to the party.じゅんさんパーティーにてほしいです
I wanted my mom to pick me up.おかあさんえきまでむかえにてほしかったです
I don’t want that person to come to my house.あのひとうちにてほしくないです

2. Step-by-Step Breakdown

(わたしは)Person に V-て ほしい(です)。

ElementExplanation
Person + にmarks the person you want to act
V-て formuse the て-form of the verb
ほしいmeans “want” — acts on the action

The person feeling the desire (the speaker) is usually the subject, often omitted, and would typically be marked by は or が if included.

📒 If you are not confident in verb te-forms, review Lesson 6 of Level 1!


3. Conjugation of ほしい

As we learned in ~がほしい (I want ~), ほしい behaves as an い-adjective, and you can conjugate it as such.

TenseExample
Positive…してほしいです (I want them to do)
Negative…してほしくないです (I don’t want them to do)
Past…してほしかったです (I wanted them to do)
Past Negative…してほしくなかったです (I didn’t want them to do)

4. Example Sentences

  • どもに野菜やさいべてほしいです
    = I want my child to eat vegetables.
  • 先生せんせい名前なまえおぼえてほしいです
    = I want the teacher to remember my name.
  • 彼女かのじょにもっとわらってほしいです
    = I want her to smile more.
  • ちち兄弟きょうだいくらべてほしくないです
    = I don’t want my father to compare me to my siblings.
  • 彼氏かれしにプレゼントをってほしかったです
    = I wanted my boyfriend to buy me a gift.

5. Practice Time!

Make your own sentences using the structure:

PromptExample
friend / help with homeworkともだちに宿題しゅくだい手伝てつだってほしいです
boss / stop yelling上司じょうし大声おおごえはなすのをやめてほしいです
mother / not compare siblingsはは兄弟きょうだいくらべてほしくないです
teacher / not mispronounce name先生せんせい名前なまえ間違まちがえてほしくないです
girlfriend / buy a present彼女かのじょにプレゼントをってほしかったです

6. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Q
Can I use this for polite requests?
A

Not really. This structure expresses your internal desire or wish. While it can sound softer than a direct command, it’s not typically used for standard polite requests to someone you need to be very formal with (like a boss or a stranger asking for help). For polite requests, use forms like ~てください, ~ていただけますか or more indirect expressions.

Q
Can I use it for what I wanted in the past?
A

Yes! Just conjugate ほしい into its past tense forms:

  • 〜てほしかったです (polite past positive)
  • 〜てほしくなかったです (polite past negative)
Q
How is 「V-てほしい」 different from 「Noun がほしい」?
A

N がほしい: Expresses the speaker’s desire to possess or have a noun (a thing).
Example: 新しい本がほしいです。(Atarashii hon ga hoshii desu.) = I want a new book.

V-てほしい: Expresses the speaker’s desire for someone else to perform an action (a verb) for the speaker’s benefit.
Example: 友達に新しい本を買ってほしいです。(Tomodachi ni atarashii hon o katte hoshii desu.) = I want my friend to buy me a new book. (Here, the speaker wants the action “buy,” performed by the friend, related to the noun “book”).

Q
What is the difference between 「〜てほしい」 and the related structures 「〜てもらう」(V-てform + morau) and 「〜てくれる」(V-てform + kureru)?
A

These are related patterns involving someone doing an action for the speaker’s benefit, but the focus is different:

  • 〜てほしい: Focuses on the speaker’s desire or wish for someone else to do something for them. (Speaker wants Person to do V).
  • 〜てもらう: Focuses on the speaker receiving the favor of someone doing something. (Speaker receives the favor of Person doing V).
  • 〜てくれる: Focuses on someone else doing a favor for the speaker. (Person does V for Speaker).
Q
Can I use 「〜てほしい」 when I want an inanimate thing or a situation (like the weather) to do something?
A

Yes, although the 「Person に」 part is sometimes omitted or the subject might be the inanimate thing itself (marked by が or は). This pattern can express a wish for a situation or inanimate object to “be” in a certain state or “do” something beneficial.

Example: 明日は晴れてほしいです。(Ashita wa harete hoshii desu.) = I want it to be sunny tomorrow. (The weather/situation is implicitly what you want to “be” sunny).


7. Conclusion

Now you can:

✅ Express “I want someone to do something”
✅ Use て-form + ほしい naturally
✅ Conjugate ほしい to match your intended meaning

🎯 Try this:
Write 3 sentences about something you want someone to do — and 2 about what you didn’t want!

Want to improve your Japanese with real conversations?

Our native Japanese instructors at gokigen japanese can help you perfect your pronunciation and learn real-life usage.

Whether you’re completely new to Japanese or looking to refine your skills, book a one-on-one session.


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