Wanting with 欲しい and てほしい in Japanese

In Brief

Use noun + が欲しい when you want a thing: 新しい靴が欲しいです means “I want new shoes.” Use a verb’s て-form + ほしい when you want someone to do an action: 手伝ってほしいです means “I want you/them to help.” If you name the person expected to act, mark that person with に: 田中さんに手伝ってほしいです.

Overview

Japanese uses two closely related patterns where English uses the verb “want.” 欲しい（ほしい） expresses a desire for a person or thing, while てほしい expresses a desire for an action. The distinction is simple: ask whether the wanted element is a noun (a word for a thing, person, or idea) or an action.

This is a core A2 pattern. It builds on the Japanese て-form, the linking form seen in expressions such as 食べて, 読んで, and 来て. Although translations often contain “want,” 欲しい behaves grammatically like an い-adjective: it changes to 欲しくない, 欲しかった, and so on. It does not conjugate like a verb equivalent to English “want.”

English word order can encourage mistakes here. In “I want a camera,” camera looks like the object of want. Japanese normally presents the desired item with が: カメラが欲しい. Japanese also often leaves out “I” or “you” when the situation makes the experiencer clear.

How It Works

Wanting a thing: noun + が欲しい

The beginner pattern is:

(person は) + wanted noun が + 欲しいです

が marks the thing desired. は can mark the person whose desire is being discussed, although that person is frequently omitted.

• 私は水が欲しいです。 — I want water.
• 今、何が欲しいですか。 — What do you want now?
• もっと時間が欲しい。 — I want more time.

In ordinary conversation, 私は is usually unnecessary when you are speaking about your own desire. 水が欲しいです is complete and natural.

When the wanted noun is already the topic or is contrasted with something else, は may replace が:

• コーヒーは欲しくないです。 — I do not want coffee (as for coffee).
• 赤いのは欲しいですが、青いのは要りません。 — I want the red one, but I do not need the blue one.

For the basic neutral pattern, learn が欲しい first. Topic and contrast are reasons for は; they do not make を欲しい the standard pattern.

欲しい changes like an い-adjective

Because 欲しい is an い-adjective, replace its final い to make negative and past forms.

Meaning	Plain	Polite
want	欲しい	欲しいです
do not want	欲しくない	欲しくないです / 欲しくありません
wanted	欲しかった	欲しかったです
did not want	欲しくなかった	欲しくなかったです / 欲しくありませんでした

欲しいでした and 欲しいではありません are not standard forms. The adjective itself must change.

Wanting an action: verb て-form + ほしい

For an action you want another person to perform, attach ほしい to the verb’s て-form:

(actor に) + verb in て-form + ほしいです

• 待つ → 待ってほしい — want someone to wait
• 読む → 読んでほしい — want someone to read
• 食べる → 食べてほしい — want someone to eat
• する → してほしい — want someone to do
• 来る → 来てほしい — want someone to come

The actor is the person you want to carry out the action. If you state that person, に is the safest basic marker:

• 弟に部屋を掃除してほしいです。 — I want my younger brother to clean the room.
• 先生にもう一度説明してほしいです。 — I want the teacher to explain it once more.

Notice that 部屋を remains the object of 掃除する. The person expected to act takes に, while particles required inside the action remain unchanged.

The actor is often left unstated. ちょっと待ってほしい can mean “I want you to wait a moment,” with “you” supplied by context. Japanese pronouns are therefore usually less necessary than in English.

Making てほしい negative or past

The ほしい part changes in the same way as 欲しい:

Meaning	Pattern	Example
want someone to do	Vてほしい	来てほしい
do not want someone to do	Vてほしくない	来てほしくない
wanted someone to do	Vてほしかった	来てほしかった
did not want someone to do	Vてほしくなかった	来てほしくなかった

There is also a very useful pattern for wanting someone not to perform an action:

verb in ない-form + でほしい

• ここで写真を撮らないでほしいです。 — I do not want you to take photos here.
• そのことは言わないでほしい。 — I want you not to mention that.

来てほしくない (“I do not want you to come”) and 来ないでほしい (“I want you not to come”) are close in practical meaning. The second explicitly presents not coming as the desired action and is often especially clear.

A quick choice guide

What is wanted?	Pattern	Example
A thing or person	Nが欲しい	静かな部屋が欲しい。
Someone’s action	(person に) Vてほしい	みんなに聞いてほしい。
Someone not doing something	(person に) Vないでほしい	心配しないでほしい。

Examples in Context

Japanese	English	Note
新しいパソコンが欲しいです。	I want a new computer.	A wanted thing takes が.
誕生日に何が欲しいですか？	What do you want for your birthday?	Asking the listener directly is natural.
今は少し時間が欲しい。	I want a little time right now.	The speaker is understood.
子どものころ、犬が欲しかったです。	When I was a child, I wanted a dog.	Past form of 欲しい.
コーヒーは欲しくないです。	I do not want coffee.	は adds a topic or contrast nuance.
手伝ってほしいです。	I want you to help.	The actor is understood from context.
田中さんにこのメールを確認してほしいです。	I want Mr./Ms. Tanaka to check this email.	に identifies the person who should act.
もう少しゆっくり話してほしいです。	I would like you to speak a little more slowly.	A common classroom or conversation request.
両親にも式に来てほしいです。	I want my parents to come to the ceremony too.	に marks the actors; も adds “too.”
昨日はもっと早く帰ってきてほしかった。	I wanted you to come home earlier yesterday.	Past desire about another person’s action.
来てほしくないです。	I do not want you to come.	Negative of てほしい.
この話をほかの人に言わないでほしい。	I do not want you to tell anyone else about this.	ないでほしい requests non-action.

Common Mistakes

Using を with the thing wanted

• Wrong: 新しい自転車を欲しいです。
• Right: 新しい自転車が欲しいです。
• Why: In the neutral 欲しい pattern, the desired noun is marked with が, not を. English “want + object” does not map directly onto Japanese particles.

Putting 欲しい directly after a verb

• Wrong: 日本へ行く欲しいです。
• Right: 日本へ行きたいです。 — I want to go to Japan.
• Right for another person’s action: 友達に日本へ行ってほしいです。 — I want my friend to go to Japan.
• Why: Use -たい for what the subject wants to do personally. Use Vてほしい for an action wanted from someone else.

Marking the actor with を

• Wrong: 友達を手伝ってほしいです。 when you mean “I want my friend to help.”
• Right: 友達に手伝ってほしいです。
• Why: The person expected to act normally takes に. Be careful: 友達を手伝ってほしい can instead mean “I want you to help my friend,” because 友達を belongs to the verb 手伝う.

Conjugating 欲しい like a verb or な-adjective

• Wrong: 車が欲しいません。
• Wrong: 車が欲しいでした。
• Right: 車が欲しくありません。 / 車が欲しくなかったです。
• Why: 欲しい is an い-adjective. Use 欲しくない for the negative and 欲しかった for the past.

Stating another person’s inner desire as a certain fact

• Awkward without context: 彼は新しい車が欲しいです。
• Natural observation: 彼は新しい車を欲しがっています。 — He seems to want / is showing that he wants a new car.
• Natural report: 彼は新しい車が欲しいと言っています。 — He says he wants a new car.
• Why: Japanese often avoids presenting someone else’s private feeling as if the speaker knows it directly. Use 欲しがる for visible signs of desire or quote what the person said.

Usage Notes

てほしい can sound demanding

Grammatically polite てほしいです still states your desire directly. Said to a stranger, customer, teacher, or superior, it may sound as though you are centering your own wishes. In everyday requests, Japanese often uses a request form instead:

• もう一度説明してください。 — Please explain it once more.
• もう一度説明していただけますか。 — Could you explain it once more? (more respectful)

Use てほしい when expressing a genuine hope or preference, especially with people close to you or when discussing what you would like to happen. To soften it, add framing such as できれば (“if possible”) or 〜んですが:

• できれば、明日までに返事をしてほしいんですが。 — If possible, I’d like you to reply by tomorrow.

This is softer, but status and context still matter.

欲しい versus 要る

欲しい describes desire: something is wanted. 要る（いる） describes need or necessity.

• 新しいスマホが欲しい。 — I want a new phone.
• 申込書にはパスポートが要ります。 — A passport is needed for the application.

A shop assistant may ask 袋は要りますか (“Do you need a bag?”), not usually 袋が欲しいですか, because the practical question is whether a bag is needed.

People as the wanted noun

A person can grammatically occur with 欲しい: 相談できる友達が欲しい means “I want a friend I can talk to.” However, a bare expression such as あなたが欲しい can sound romantic, dramatic, sexual, or possessive depending on context. Use it only when that force is intended.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master these points at A2, but they explain forms you will encounter later.

Third-person desire with 欲しがる

欲しがる means “show signs of wanting.” Unlike 欲しい, it behaves as a verb, so the wanted item commonly takes を:

• 子どもがおもちゃを欲しがっています。 — The child wants/is asking for a toy.

This does not mean that third-person 欲しい is always forbidden. It is natural inside a quotation, in a question addressed to that person, in fiction that gives access to a character’s thoughts, or when evidence/source is made clear. The beginner-safe distinction is:

• your own present feeling: Nが欲しい
• the listener’s feeling in a question: Nが欲しいですか
• another person’s observable desire: Nを欲しがっている
• another person’s stated desire: Nが欲しいと言っている

てほしい versus てもらいたい

Both can express a desired action from someone else:

• 先生に見てほしいです。 — I want the teacher to look at it.
• 先生に見てもらいたいです。 — I would like to have the teacher look at it for me.

てもらいたい views the action as something the speaker receives as a favor. It can be useful when requesting help, though it too may need softening in formal situations. てほしい focuses more directly on the desired action or outcome.

Hopes that are not direct requests

てほしい can express a hope rather than a command to a particular listener:

• この町がもっと住みやすくなってほしい。 — I hope this town becomes easier to live in.
• みんなにこの映画を見てほしい。 — I want everyone to see this film.

Here the pattern expresses the speaker’s desired state of affairs. The person marked by に need not be physically present or directly addressed.

Practice Tips

1. Sort desires into “thing” and “action.” Pick ten wants from daily life. Write nouns with が欲しい and actions wanted from others with てほしい: 休みが欲しい, but 友達に来てほしい.
2. Review the て-form while building sentences. Take five familiar verbs and make pairs such as 読む → 読んでほしい and 待つ → 待ってほしい. Then add an actor with に.
3. Practice four time/polarity forms. Say one desire as present, negative, past, and past negative: 欲しい → 欲しくない → 欲しかった → 欲しくなかった. Repeat with 来てほしい.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: て-Form — provides the verb form required before ほしい.