Say you want something (が欲しい)
欲しい (want) is an い-adjective expressing desire for an object. The desired item is marked with が, not を. Because inner feelings are personal in Japanese, special rules govern third-person desires.
Desiring an Object: [Noun] が ほしい
atarashii kuruma ga hoshii desu
I want a new car.
Wanting a thing or wanting to do
Micro-Shift水が ほしいです。
Wanting a thingI want some water.
ほしい is an い-adjective that follows a noun with が: the thing itself is what you want.
Example Sentences
I want juice
I want a guitar
Desiring an Object: The Mental Model
In English, “want” is a transitive verb acting on an object (“I want water”). In Japanese, 欲しい (want) is an い-adjective that describes a state of yearning: literally, “Water is desirable to me.”
Because it functions as an adjective describing what attracts you, the desired object takes the subject marker が, never the direct object marker を:
- 水が欲しいです: “I want water.” (Literally: “Water is desirable”).
- 新しい靴が欲しい: “I want new shoes.”
Add です at the end to make it standard polite speech, or leave it in plain form among close friends.
Conjugates Just Like an い-Adjective
Because ほしい is an true い-adjective, it inflects through the exact same four forms:
- Present affirmative: 欲しいです (I want)
- Present negative: 欲しくないです (I don't want)
- Past affirmative: 欲しかったです (I wanted)
- Past negative: 欲しくなかったです (I didn't want)
- 何も欲しくないです: “I don't want anything.”
- 子どもの頃、犬が欲しかったです: “When I was a child, I wanted a dog.”
The Third-Person Limitation: You Cannot Read Other Minds
In traditional Japanese psychology, a speaker cannot claim direct knowledge of another person's private inner desires. Saying *田中さんは車が欲しいです sounds presumptuous—as if you are claiming telepathic access to Tanaka's heart!
To talk about what someone else wants, you must describe their observable behavior using 〜を欲しがっている (“They are showing signs of wanting / acting like they want”):
- Incorrect:
*彼は新しいパソコンが欲しいです - Correct: 彼は新しいパソコンを欲しがっています: “He wants a new laptop.” (Notice that with 欲しがる, the particle shifts to を because 欲しがる is an active verb!).
Alternatively, report it as second-hand knowledge using 〜そうです (“I heard...”) or 〜らしい (“It seems...”): 田中さんは時計が欲しいそうです (“I hear Tanaka wants a watch”).
Social Etiquette: Never Ask a Superior “欲しいですか”
Asking a guest, customer, or workplace senior 何が欲しいですか sounds blunt and invasive. It forces them to expose their inner greed or demands.
Instead of asking what they want, offer items with gentle suggestions or questions of preference:
- Casual/blunt:
*お茶が欲しいですか(“Do you want tea?”) - Polite and welcoming: お茶はいかがですか: “Would you care for some tea?”
- Friendly alternative: お茶はどうですか: “How about some tea?”
Objects vs Actions: 欲しい vs 〜たい
Learners frequently mix up ほしい and 〜たい:
- Wanting a NOUN: Use 欲しい (車が欲しい = want a car).
- Wanting to do an ACTION: Use 〜たい on a verb stem (車を運転したい = want to drive a car).
In Dialogue
Hana誕生日に何が一番欲しいですか。
What do you want most for your birthday?
Maru新しいギターが欲しいです！
I want a new guitar!
Quick Check
Select the correct way to say: ‘I want a new camera.’ (カメラ = camera)