How to say "I want" and "I don't want"

GoldCoinLover · 10 Aug 2007

I'm using pimsleur's japanese audio discs right now to learn japanese bit by bit and they have just taught me how to say "I want" and "I don't want".

But it's pretty hard to hear what they are saying exactly, to repricate it. For "want" it sounds like hoshii. I forget what "I don't want" sounds like.

I'd appreciate it if someone could tell me how to say these "I want" and "I don't want" in japanese so I can learn the phrase and so I can understand the audio disc better.

Thanks!

JimmySeal · 10 Aug 2007

Could it be "hoshiku nai?"

GoldCoinLover · 10 Aug 2007

JimmySeal said:
Could it be "hoshiku nai?"

Maybe. But I don't remember the nai part.

Elizabeth · 10 Aug 2007

GoldCoinLover said:
Maybe. But I don't remember the nai part.

Hoshiku arimasen ? Maybe ?

GoldCoinLover · 10 Aug 2007

Elizabeth said:
Hoshiku arimasen ? Maybe ?

Is this how you say "I don't want", what is "I want"?

Thanks

shikyo · 10 Aug 2007

Is this how you say "I don't want"

Yes.

GoldCoinLover said:
what is "I want"?

hoshii
(Page about adjectives: www[.]guidetojapanese.org/adjectives.html <- note the brackets.)

Davey · 10 Aug 2007

how about the "tai" part.

For example:
神戸にいきたい。
I want to go to Kobe.
おこのみやきたべたい。
I want to eat Okonomiyaki
セクシー大学生みたい。
I want to see a sexy University student.

Elizabeth · 10 Aug 2007

GoldCoinLover said:
Is this how you say "I don't want", what is "I want"?
Thanks

Both are fine. This is the difference :

Hoshiku arimasen (long, formal)
Hoshiku nai (short, casual).

nhk9 · 11 Aug 2007

GoldCoinLover said:
I'm using pimsleur's japanese audio discs right now to learn japanese bit by bit and they have just taught me how to say "I want" and "I don't want".
But it's pretty hard to hear what they are saying exactly, to repricate it. For "want" it sounds like hoshii. I forget what "I don't want" sounds like.
I'd appreciate it if someone could tell me how to say these "I want" and "I don't want" in japanese so I can learn the phrase and so I can understand the audio disc better.
Thanks!

The particle "ga" usually comes after some noun and before "hoshii", for "I want"

For "I don't want", the literal translation can be "ha hoshikunai", but it is common to just say "ha iranai" (I don't need). This comes in handy whenever you go into one of those conbini stores.

quamp · 11 Aug 2007

My understanding is that it can also be done based on what you want.

For example, if you want someone to give you something tangible, one would use the object's name and then 下さい (kudasai.) Usually the object is marked with o, but sometimes it can be omitted in informal speech. For example:

コカコーラを下さい I want you to give me a coke

If it's an action one wants, use the -te form of the verb plus 下さい.
Example:

先生を聞いて下さい I want you to ask the doctor (or teacher)

By the same token, for a negative request for an action could be done using -naide plus 下さい.
Example:

入りかけないで下さい I don't want you to enter.

(This may be wrong, but it's how I was taught.)

Mike Cash · 11 Aug 2007

Quamp: are you familiar with the uses of ほしい when combined with other verbs?

For example:

写真を撮ってほしい
あいつだけに見せてほしくない

quamp said:
Example:
入りかけないで下さい I don't want you to enter.
(This may be wrong, but it's how I was taught.)
A little unnatural.

入らないでください
入ってはいけません
入ってもらってはこまる
入ってほしくない
入るな

or, on signs,

立入禁止

Elizabeth · 12 Aug 2007

quamp said:
If it's an action one wants, use the -te form of the verb plus 下さい.
Example:
先生を聞いて下さい I want you to ask the doctor (or teacher))

When the situation is formal and the speaker is trying to speak politely, って下さい
is normally added for the benefit of the listener. The message can thus be changed to mean "Please ask the doctor (or teacher)" because they are the ones that can help first or more appropriately than myself.

What you may really want to say with "please" is "Do such and such for me. Get me a coke. Go ask them and stop bothering me with your pesky questions !" but that would be highly aggressive and rude so of course we don't in English or Japanese or our translations. And so they can be used similarly but aren't always interchangable.

基本的に、直接このように言われると不気味ですね。 Basically, it feels strange when "Please" is said so directly to mean the same as "want you to do this for me..."

TheImmigrantSong · 12 Aug 2007

Hmmm this is somthing I have wondered too! I cant see the Kanji on this computer, so let me make sure I too have it right!

1. I want a car
(boku wa) kuruma ga hoshiiku kudasai.

2. I dont want a car
(boku wa) kuruma ga hoshikunai.

Right? Thanks for posting this GoldCoinLover, I always wonderded this!

undrentide · 12 Aug 2007

quamp said:
先生を聞いて下さい I want you to ask the doctor (or teacher)

It's a bit off-topic, but this sounds unnatural.
先生に聞いてください (I want you to ask the doctor/teacher (the question).)

Elizabeth · 12 Aug 2007

TheImmigrantSong said:
Hmmm this is somthing I have wondered too! I cant see the Kanji on this computer, so let me make sure I too have it right!
1. I want a car
(boku wa) kuruma ga hoshiiku kudasai.
2. I dont want a car
(boku wa) kuruma ga hoshikunai.
Right? Thanks for posting this GoldCoinLover, I always wonderded this!

When you don't have a dictionary handy, nhk9 already answered it.

The particle "ga" usually comes after some noun and before "hoshii", for "I want"

kuruma ga hoshii.

How to say "I want" and "I don't want"

GoldCoinLover

後輩

JimmySeal

Tubthumper

GoldCoinLover

後輩

Elizabeth

先輩

GoldCoinLover

後輩

shikyo

先輩

Davey

先輩

Elizabeth

先輩

nhk9

先輩

quamp

止まれません!

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

Elizabeth

先輩

TheImmigrantSong

日本はいちばん!

undrentide

Japa'n vagyok

Elizabeth

先輩

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