Likes and Dislikes in Japanese: Say What You Want

Wanting and liking: ほしい, たい, 好き

Short answer: Japanese splits “want” in two. For a thing, say thing がほしいです. For an action, add たい to the verb stem: 食べたい, “want to eat”. Both behave like い-adjectives. Liking uses the な-adjectives 好き and 嫌い with が. All of these describe your own feelings; for other people, add がる: ほしがっています.

ほしい: I want (a thing)

The thing wanted takes が. ほしい changes like any い-adjective.

たい: I want to (do)

Take the ます stem and replace ます with たい. The object can keep を or switch to が.

Form	Meaning	From
tabetai	want to eat	食べます
ikitai	want to go	行きます
mitakunai	don’t want to see	見ます
aitakatta	wanted to meet; missed you	会います
shitai	want to do	します
kaeritai	want to go home	帰ります

好き and 嫌い

The thing liked takes が; to like doing something, add の or こと to a plain verb.

私わたしwatashiIはwa(topic)犬いぬinudogsがga(subject)好きですすきですsuki desuare liked

Watashi wa inu ga suki desu.“I like dogs.”Why: Liker は, liked thing が.

料理りょうりryōricookingするsurudoのno(the act of)がga(subject)大好きですだいすきですdaisuki desulove

Ryōri suru no ga daisuki desu.“I love cooking.”Why: Plain verb + の makes “doing X” a noun. 大好き = “really like, love”.

虫むしmushiinsectsはwa(contrast)ちょっとchottoa bit苦手ですにがてですnigate desunot my thing

Mushi wa chotto nigate desu.“I’m not great with insects.”Why: 苦手 is the soft alternative to 嫌い: “not good with”.

What other people want

As with emotions, you cannot state someone else’s wishes as fact. Add がる and use ている.

What other people want: たがる and ほしがる

たい and ほしい describe your own wishes. For someone else, add がる (shows signs of wanting), usually in ている form, or quote them.

弟おとうとotōtomy brotherはwa(topic)新しいあたらしいatarashiinewゲームgēmugameをo(object)ほしがっていますhoshigatte imasuwants

Otōto wa atarashii gēmu o hoshigatte imasu.“My brother wants a new game.”Why: ほしがる takes を, unlike ほしい.

子供こどもkodomochildrenはwa(topic)外そとsotooutsideでdeat遊びたがっていますあそびたがっていますasobitagatte imasuwant to play

Kodomo wa soto de asobitagatte imasu.“The children want to play outside.”Why: Stem + たがる.

田中さんたなかさんTanaka-sanTanakaはwa(topic)行きたいいきたいikitaiwant to goそうですsō desuI hear

Tanaka-san wa ikitai sō desu.“I hear Tanaka wants to go.”Why: Plain + そうです: reported information.

Wanting politely

A bare たいです can sound blunt in requests. Soften with んですが or turn it into a question.

Degrees of liking

From love to hate.

Cheat sheet: want, like, hope

Which pattern for which wish.

Pattern	Meaning	Use
~ ga hoshii	want (a thing)	your own wish
~ tai	want to (do)	your own wish
~ o hoshigatte iru	he wants (a thing)	others
~ tagatte iru	she wants to	others
~ ga suki	like	anyone
~ to ii na	I hope…	wishes about events

Check yourself

Say each one in Japanese, then open the answer to check and hear it.

I want a new phone.
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Atarashii denwa ga hoshii desu.ほしい: want a thing; the thing takes が.
I want to go to Kyoto.
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Kyōto ni ikitai desu.Stem + たい.
My sister wants a dog.
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Imōto wa inu o hoshigatte imasu.がる for other people.
I like music.
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Ongaku ga suki desu.
I hope it’s sunny tomorrow.
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Ashita hareru to ii na.

Polite offers instead of “do you want…?”

To offer something, avoid ほしいですか. Use these instead.

Would you like…?

Shall we…?

Please have…