Regarding the が Particle

[emptybento]

Before I move onto anything else I really want to make sure I'm understanding the が particle correctly, and as the only way I know to make sure is to use it in a sentence, I ask: would this sentence be considered correct?

私はクッキーが食べたい。
I want to eat [a/some] cookie.

Thank you very much in advance to anyone to helps or at least looks to see if I'm making sense.

 

[JimmySeal]

Yes. That is correct.

 

[emptybento]

Yay! Thank you!

 

[nice gaijin]

In forms that use the ～たい form (I want to...), が is used to mark the direct object that would otherwise be marked with を. Although there is a growing number of people that also use を for this form as well, it is grammatically correct to use が.

 

[Elizabeth]

In forms that use the ～たい form (I want to...), が is used to mark the direct object that would otherwise be marked with を. Although there is a growing number of people that also use を for this form as well, it is grammatically correct to use が.

I overwhelmingly see and use を so 私はクッキーを食べたい。sounds much more natural to me unless there is the need to emphasize that what it is you want are cookies and nothing short of that will be satisfactory.

 

[J44xm]

II overwhelmingly see and use を so 私はクッキーを食べたい。sounds much more natural to me unless there is the need to emphasize that what it is you want are cookies and nothing short of that will be satisfactory.

Are we dealing with regional differences here? This is something that I've been trying to sort out recently myself and I've been getting some conflicting answers.

 

[epigene]

Hi J44xm!

I'm inclined to agree with Elizabeth that "ga" is used to emphasize preference when there are choices presented in front of you. However, I've also heard people use "wo" in the same situation.

According to my husband (formerly my oracle of the Japanese language, now defunct after retirement ), "ga" had been used traditionally in the Japanese language, regardless of whether there is emphasis or not. The use of "wo" emerged with influence of the English language (meaning not recently but after Japan began to learn from Western countries starting in the Meiji Period ).

HTH!

 

[Elizabeth]

Hi J44xm!
I'm inclined to agree with Elizabeth that "ga" is used to emphasize preference when there are choices presented in front of you. However, I've also heard people use "wo" in the same situation.

そうですね。欲しいもの、希望を強く表現するのに「が」が使われることが多いと思い ます。
「クッキーを食べたい」の場合、クッキーのほかのスナックでもいい」という感じがするかもしれ ないです。 「が」ほど強くないけれど、やはりクッキーを食べたいという気持ちに変わりはありませんね。 :hungry: