"Mitai" form?

Yamatoblue

先輩

5 Oct 2003

63

0

• 9 Oct 2003

• #1

I consider myself an intermediate Japanese speaker. So I should probably know this, but I don't.

In this context, what is "mitai"? What do "kaerimitai?" , "yondemitai", etc mean?
I'm totally lost. Maybe they mean try?
Instead of tameshimasu, you would use mitai?

Thanks for any replies!

PS:I'd type in Japanese, but my college doesn't have the Japanese input in the library. They should, because we have a ton of Japanese students here.

 

Elizabeth

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22 Apr 2003

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• 9 Oct 2003

• #2

I don't think there is a "kaerimitai" (unless you're thinking of the verb kaerimiru? 省みたい -- I want to reconsider it)....try to return of course would be "kaette mitai."

 

Last edited: 9 Oct 2003

mdchachi

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Twenty-year veteran

6 Mar 2003

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9,444

• 9 Oct 2003

• #3

gerund-Xverb-form + mitai (miru + tai i.e. want to see)
means "Want to try X" or "Want to do X and see how it goes"

So yondemitai means "Want to try to read <something>". The meaning is similar to the plain want-to-do form (yomitai) but the nuance of this form has the "try" or "do X and see how it goes" meanings in there.

Like if I was explaining to you what a s'more was and you've never had one, you might want to say "tabete mitai" (I want to try it). If it was something you've had before but I just reminded you of it, you might just say "tabetai".

Note that this mitai is completely different than the noun + mitai form.

 

Elizabeth

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22 Apr 2003

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• 9 Oct 2003

• #4

There is some overlap in "mitai" with "kokoromiru" or "tamesu," but I think maybe the latter two are used more formally in business or science for example to try out new products, experiment with a new drug, etc. It really just depends what you are trying to say....言ってみたいことによって違うという文ですね。

 

E

Enfour

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13 May 2003

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• 9 Oct 2003

• #5

Note that this mitai is completely different than the noun + mitai form.

Click to expand...

Yes this is all true - but remember that this "miru" is always in hiragana and not kanji...

 

Elizabeth

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22 Apr 2003

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• 9 Oct 2003

• #6

I always write mitai with a noun in hiragana as well. Is that not the normal form?

 

E

Enfour

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13 May 2003

87

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• 9 Oct 2003

• #7

Originally posted by Elizabeth
I always write mitai with a noun in hiragana as well. Is that not the normal form?

Click to expand...

noun + particle + mitai (kanji)

ie I want to watch TV..

kanji for the verb miru..

見る

But then I could easily be wrong if this is not the pattern you meant..

I am only JLPT 2 level.. not 1...

 

Elizabeth

先輩

22 Apr 2003

9,839

135

• 9 Oct 2003

• #8

No, I was referring to the sense of "seems" or "appears like," as an adjective such as in

nihon mitai (looks like Japan) - kuma mitai (looks like a bear) -

but of course that usage can come after verbs & adjectives as well.

 

Last edited: 9 Oct 2003

Yamatoblue

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5 Oct 2003

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• 13 Oct 2003

• Thread starter
• #9

＾
ELIZABETH-What about using "you"?
例えば、あの人は猿のように見たい。Or your way=あの人は猿を見たい。
省みたい＝知っていますよ。LOOK BACK ON の意味です。

But I always thought that "te" was a command form? 聞いて、書いて、座って
So saying tabetemitai means I want to try. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but I'll go with your suggestions!
Thanks guys!

 

Yamatoblue

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5 Oct 2003

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• 13 Oct 2003

• Thread starter
• #10

How would I say, "please try these cookies."
このクッキーを食べてみて下さい（正しくではありませんか？）

 

Elizabeth

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22 Apr 2003

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• 13 Oct 2003

• #11

Originally posted by Yamatoblue
＾
ELIZABETH-What about using "you"?
例えば、あの人は猿のように見たい。Or your way=あの人は猿を見たい。
省みたい＝知っていますよ。LOOK BACK ON の意味です。

But I always thought that "te" was a command form? 聞いて、書いて、座って
So saying tabetemitai means I want to try. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but I'll go with your suggestions!
Thanks guys!

Click to expand...

What is my way? I'm more than a little confused about what everyone is trying to say here. At any rate, I don't think the first example (あの人は猿のように見たい) is very correct because I don't believe "mitai" (as a transitive verb requiring an object) refers to having good eyesight (like a monkey?). Is that what you were trying to say?

And while there many not be any hard and fast rules for understanding "te" forms, there are some rules of thumb that can be gathered from the context. For instance, appearing as an auxiliary verb within the sentence, a te ending doesn't have the implication of a command -- more like "and," indicating a series of actions that need to be understood together. Appearing alone, usually accompanied by a sharp tone of voice (essentially minus the "please"), there is the sense of "do this."

Sorry I'm not really feeling well at the moment...but hope this is making a little sense anyway

 

Elizabeth

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22 Apr 2003

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• 13 Oct 2003

• #12

Originally posted by Yamatoblue
How would I say, "please try these cookies."
このクッキーを食べてみて下さい（正しくではありませんか？）

Click to expand...

正解。どうして Yamatoblue-san は「正しく(don't need で)はない」と思ったんですか？

 

Yamatoblue

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5 Oct 2003

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• 14 Oct 2003

• Thread starter
• #13

My friend who lives in japan said, you use "no you ni mieru."Sorry about confusing you, Liz.

 

Yamatoblue

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5 Oct 2003

63

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• 14 Oct 2003

• Thread starter
• #14

*
i made a mistake by writing mitai, it was actually mieru