〜がほしい: How to Say You Want Something (Meaning + Examples)
What it means
ほしい is how you say you want something — an object, not an action. The thing you want is marked with が:
新しい車がほしいです。
あたらしい くるまが ほしいです。
I want a new car.
誕生日に何がほしいですか。
たんじょうびに なにが ほしいですか。
What do you want for your birthday?
Question word 何 takes が — natural with ほしい.
時間がほしい。
じかんが ほしい。
I want time.
It's an い-adjective
ほしい conjugates like any い-adjective — this trips people up because the meaning feels verb-like:
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present | ほしい | 車がほしい |
| Negative | ほしくない | 何もほしくない (I don't want anything) |
| Past | ほしかった | あれがほしかった (I wanted that) |
| Polite | ほしいです | 車がほしいです |
Whose wants? (the same rule as たい)
Like 〜たい, ほしい describes your own desire (or the listener's, in a question). To state what a third person wants, Japanese switches to ほしがる (just as たい → たがる):
| Form | Core idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ほしい | your own wish (or listener's, in a question) | (私は) 車がほしい = I want a car |
| ほしがる | a third person's visible wish | 弟は車をほしがっている = My brother wants a car |
Note the particle shift: with ほしがる the object often takes を (車をほしがる).
〜てほしい — wanting someone to do something
Add ほしい to a verb's て-form and you get 〜てほしい = "I want someone to do…":
留守の間、犬の世話をしてほしい。
るすの あいだ、いぬの せわを して ほしい。
I'd like you to look after my dog while I'm away.
してほしい = want (someone) to do.
The person you want to act is usually marked with に: 田中さんに来てほしい ("I want Tanaka to come").
ほしい vs たい — thing vs action
English uses "want" for both, so this is the key distinction:
- ほしい = want a thing (noun): ケーキがほしい ("I want cake").
- 〜たい = want to do (verb): ケーキを食べたい ("I want to eat cake").
If a noun is what you're after, it's ほしい; if it's an action, it's 〜たい.
Common mistakes
- Using を with ほしい. The wanted thing takes が, not を: 水がほしい (✓).
- Conjugating it like a verb. It's an い-adjective: ほしくない, not ほしません.
- Using ほしい for someone else flatly. For a third person use ほしがる (弟はおもちゃをほしがっている).
- Reaching for ほしい when you mean an action. "I want to rest" is 休みたい (verb), not 休みがほしい.
Quick recap
- ほしい = want a thing; the thing takes が.
- It's an い-adjective: ほしくない, ほしかった.
- Third person → ほしがる; want someone to act → 〜てほしい.
- Want an action? Use 〜たい.
Your turn
Choose the correct use of ほしい / がほしい.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between ほしい and たい?
ほしい is for wanting a thing (a noun): 水がほしい. たい is for wanting to do an action (a verb): 水が飲みたい. Same English 'want,' different target.
Which particle goes with ほしい?
The thing you want takes が: 新しい車がほしい. (For a third person with ほしがる, the object often takes を instead.)
How do I say someone else wants something?
Use ほしがる for a third person's visible desire: 子どもがおもちゃをほしがっている ('the child wants the toy'). ほしい alone is for yourself or the listener.
What does 〜てほしい mean?
It means you want someone to do something: 手伝ってほしい ('I want you to help'). The person is usually marked with に.