Genki Grammar #124: Mastering -te hoshii

Introduction

In Japanese, you can express your desire for someone to do something using the phrase -te hoshii. This structure is useful for describing your wishes politely and clearly. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to use -te hoshii, when to use it, and provide examples to help you master this grammar point.

What It Means

The structure -te hoshii combines the te-form of a verb with the i-adjective hoshii (ほしい) to express the idea of wanting someone to do something. The person you are directing the wish to is marked with the particle ni (に).

For example:

• 私は病気の友だちに元気になってほしいです。
  (Watashi wa byouki no tomodachi ni genki ni natte hoshii desu) I want my sick friend to get well.
  

When to Use It

Use -te hoshii when:

1. You want to express your desire for someone else to perform an action.
2. You want to politely indicate what you hope someone will do.

How to Form It

The general structure is:
(私は) person に verb te-form + ほしいです。
(Watashi wa) person ni verb te-form + hoshii desu

• 私はルームメイトに宿題を手伝ってほしかったです。
  (Watashi wa ruumu meito ni shukudai o tetsudatte hoshikatta desu) I wanted my roommate to help me with my homework.

Examples

Here are some examples to help you understand how to use -te hoshii in sentences.

1. 私は友だちに早く来てほしいです。
   (Watashi wa tomodachi ni hayaku kite hoshii desu) I want my friend to come early.
2. 私はお母さんにもっと料理を教えてほしいです。
   (Watashi wa okaasan ni motto ryouri o oshiete hoshii desu) I want my mother to teach me more cooking.
3. 私は妹に部屋を片付けてほしいです。
   (Watashi wa imouto ni heya o katazukete hoshii desu) I want my little sister to clean up her room.
4. 私は日本人の友だちに英語で話さないでほしいです。
   (Watashi wa Nihonjin no tomodachi ni eigo de hanasanai de hoshii desu) I don’t want my Japanese friends to speak in English.

Notes

Expressing “Don’t Want Them to Do”

To express that you don’t want someone to do something, you can either negate hoshii or negate the verb:

• –てほしくないです: Negate hoshii
  • 私はお父さんに昔の話をしてほしくないです。
    (Watashi wa otousan ni mukashi no hanashi o shite hoshikunai desu) I don’t want my father to talk about the good old times.
• –ないでほしいです: Negate the verb
  • 私は日本人の友だちに英語で話さないでほしいです。
    (Watashi wa Nihonjin no tomodachi ni eigo de hanasanai de hoshii desu) I don’t want my Japanese friends to speak in English.

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Comparing “Want” Expressions

1. verb stem + たい: I want to do…
   • Example: 私はベトナムに行きたいです (Watashi wa Betonamu ni ikitai desu) – I want to go to Vietnam.
2. noun がほしい: I want something.
   • Example: 私は歩きやすい靴がほしいです (Watashi wa arukiyasui kutsu ga hoshii desu) – I want comfortable shoes.
3. verb te-form + ほしい: I want somebody to do…
   • Example: 私は妹に部屋を片付けてほしいです (Watashi wa imouto ni heya o katazukete hoshii desu) – I want my little sister to clean up her room.

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Talking About Others’ Wishes

The expressions in this post reflect the speaker’s own wishes. When describing the desires of others, use these patterns:

• 先生は学生にたくさん勉強してほしいと言っています。
  (Sensei wa gakusei ni takusan benkyou shite hoshii to itteimasu) Our professors say they want their students to study a lot.
• 先生は学生にたくさん勉強してほしがっています。
  (Sensei wa gakusei ni takusan benkyou shite hoshigatte imasu) Our professors (are acting in a way that suggests they) want their students to study a lot.

Conclusion

The -te hoshii structure is a practical way to express your wishes for others’ actions in Japanese. By mastering this grammar point, you’ll be able to convey your hopes clearly and naturally in conversations. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll feel confident using -te hoshii in a variety of situations!

Recommended Resources

For a deeper understanding of -te hoshii, I recommend A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar. This book explains the concept under the entry hoshii², providing detailed explanations and examples of how to express your wishes for someone else’s actions in Japanese. If you want to explore this grammar point further and see more practical examples, this book is an excellent resource to enhance your Japanese skills.