たい
🃏 Flashcard
たい
tai
Tap to reveal usage
want to do something
N5
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N5
Beginner · Basic sentence structures
Reading
tai
Post ID
50664
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
want to do something
📖 How to use it
Expresses the speaker's desire to do something.
Attaches to
Attach to the ます-stem (the form before ます) of a verb. For example, 食べます -> 食べたい, 行きます -> 行きたい.
たい is used to say what you want to do. It is an auxiliary adjective that attaches to the ます-stem of a verb. The resulting form is an い-adjective, so it can be conjugated like one: 食べたくない (don't want to eat), 食べたかった (wanted to eat). This pattern is mainly used for the speaker's own desires in statements, and for asking about the listener's desires in questions. When talking about someone else's desire, you usually use たがる or expressions like と言っていました.
日本に行きたいです。
Nihon ni ikitai desu.
I want to go to Japan.
何を食べたいですか。
Nani o tabetai desu ka.
What do you want to eat?
映画を見たいですが、時間がありません。
Eiga o mitai desu ga, jikan ga arimasen.
I want to watch a movie, but I don't have time.
Not ほしい
たい is for wanting to do an action (verb), while ほしい is for wanting a thing (noun) or for wanting someone to do something (verb て-form + ほしい). For example, 水がほしい (I want water) but 水を飲みたい (I want to drink water).
Register
This is common in both speaking and writing at all levels of politeness. Use たいです for polite speech, and plain たい for casual speech with friends.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
たい
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat たい three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using たい. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N5 Patterns
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern たい mean?
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Want to do something
What JLPT level is たい?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N5 — Beginner · Basic sentence structures. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use たい in a sentence?
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Attach たい (tai) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is たい formal or casual Japanese?
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たい is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember たい long-term?
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Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.