〜たい
Meaning
Desire to do
Explanation
V-masu base + たいです
Examples
冷たい水を飲みたいです。
📐 Formation
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (stem) | 〜たいです | 食べたいです (I want to eat) |
| Past | 〜たかったです | 食べたかったです (I wanted to eat) |
| Negative | 〜たくないです | 食べたくないです (I don't want to eat) |
↔️ Compare — Easy to Confuse
「〜たい」(I want to) vs「〜てほしい」(I want someone else to): own desire vs asking others.
⚠️ Teacher's Note — Common Mistakes
Memorizing this pattern in isolation isn't enough — JLPT always tests grammar in context.
🎯 JLPT N5 — How It's Tested
もんだい1 & もんだい2
「〜たい」appears in もんだい1 (grammar fill-in) where you select the correct particle or ending, and in もんだい2 (sentence composition) where you arrange scrambled words.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does 「〜たい」mean?+
「〜たい」means "Desire to do". V-masu base + たいです It is a JLPT N5 grammar point.
How do you use 「〜たい」?+
Example: 冷たい水を飲みたいです。.
Is 「〜たい」on the JLPT N5?+
Yes, it appears in the grammar section (もんだい1) and reading passages.
Practice 「〜たい」 in context