9.2 Expressing Desires with たいです (tai desu)

Introduction to たいです

When you want to express desires in Japanese, the auxiliary verb (or suffix) たい (tai) is incredibly useful. This suffix is attached to verb stems to communicate a desire or intention to do something.

Here is a quick guide on understanding the たい form and applying it across various verbs while maintaining politeness:

Using たい correctly not only helps you convey what you want to do clearly but also ensures you remain respectful in various social contexts.

Conjugating verbs into たいです

1. Affirmative form

To express a desire or intention politely using the たい form, start with the ます form of the verb.

For regular verbs: 

• 歌（うた）います (utai masu) means ‘to sing’.
• Remove ます to get the verb stem: 歌い (utai).
• Add たいです to indicate desire: 歌いたいです (utai tai desu) – I want to sing.

 

For irregular verbs: Some verbs, such as する (to do) and 来（く）る (to come), have a distinctive ます form but the principle of adding たいです is the same as for regular verbs.

する (suru: to do):

• ます form: します (shi masu) → remove ます → add たいです
• Affirmative: したいです (shi tai desu) – I want to do (it).

電話（でんわ）する (denwa suru: to make a phone call):

• ます form: 電話します (denwa shi masu) → remove ます → add たいです
• Affirmative: 電話したいです (denwa shi tai desu) — I want to make a phone call.

来（く）る (kuru: to come):

• ます form: 来（き）ます (ki masu) → remove ます → add たいです
• Affirmative: 来（き）たいです (ki tai desu) – I want to come.

2. Negative form

Change たい to たくない to make the phrase negative, meaning ‘I don’t want to…’. To make it more formal or polite, simply add です at the end.

For regular verbs:

• 歌いたいです (utai tai desu) – I want to sing.
• 歌いたくないです (utai takunai desu) – I don’t want to sing.

For irregular verbs:

• する:
  • Affirmative: したいです (shi tai desu) – I want to do it.
  • Negative: したくないです (shi takunai desu) – I don’t want to do it.
• 電話する:
  • Affirmative: 電話したいです (denwa shi tai desu) — I want to make a phone call.
  • Negative: 電話したくないです (denwa shi takunai desu) — I don’t want to make a phone call.
• 来（く）る:
  • Affirmative: 来（き）たいです (ki tai desu) — I want to come.
  • Negative: 来（き）たくないです (ki takunai desu) — I don’t want to come.

Examples: 

3. Question form

• Simply add the question particle か (ka) to the end of the affirmative form.

Examples:

 

Additional notes on たい and 欲（ほ）しい

To ‘want’ in English can be translated into Japanese as たい (tai) or 欲しい (hoshii), depending on whether an action or a tangible object is wanted.

たい is used with verbs to express wanting to do something. For example, 食(た)べたいです (tabe tai desu: I want to eat).

欲しい is an i-adjective that is used with nouns to express wanting a specific object or thing. The subject particle が is typically used after the noun that is wanted. For example: 私（わたし）は車（くるま）が欲しいです (Watashi wa kuruma ga hoshii desu) –  I want a car. (Literally, ‘A car is wanted/desirable’.)

Here, が emphasises 車 (car) as the object of desire. Unlike は, which introduces the topic, が emphasises what is specifically wanted.

Careful use of たい and 欲しい in Japanese is essential to clearly convey that you want to do something or you want something, respectively.

 

Responding to questions

Responding to questions using the たい form in Japanese is straightforward and can be adapted to reflect both affirmative and negative preferences.

Importantly, たいです and たくないです cannot be used alone; they must attach to a verb to indicate what action you want to do or don’t want to do, respectively.

Here are the basic structures for responding to questions about desires or intentions:

 

Now, let’s have a closer look at each response.

1. Affirmative response

To agree to a question that uses the たい form, you can simply reply with the same verb in the affirmative たい form.

Examples:

In everyday conversation, it’s typical to respond directly to the verb phrase without repeating the entire sentence structure from the question. This approach is not only efficient but also keeps the dialogue clear and straightforward.

 

2. Negative response

To respond negatively, use the negative form of the たい construction, which is たくない (takunai). This directly expresses that you do not wish to engage in the action.

Examples:

Even though a straightforward negative response is grammatically correct, it might seem a bit too blunt in everyday conversations, as discussed in Module 3.3. To help you respond with tact and politeness, here are some gentler ways to express your reluctance to do something:

Nuanced negative responses

1. Softening the negative

• あまり… たくないです (Amari … takunai desu: I don’t really want to …)
  • This phrase is perfect for gently turning down an activity or request, reducing the impact of the negative verb form. For example:

 

2. Refusing politely

すみませんが、ちょっと（… たくないです）(Sumimasen ga, chotto [… takunai desu]: Sorry, but I’d rather not …)

• • Ideal for declining politely, this expression softens your refusal with a quick apology and the use of ちょっと (a little).

Examples:

Using these nuanced phrases allows you to navigate situations where a simple ‘no’ might feel too harsh. They’re particularly useful for keeping conversations smooth!