Welcome to Day 36 of our 100-day JLPT N5 challenge!
Today, we’re diving into expressing desires using the structure ～が ほしい (want something), a key JLPT N5 grammar point.
You’ll learn to say things like “I want a book” or “I want that pen,” perfect for everyday conversations.
Main Lesson: Using ～が ほしい Step-by-Step
The ～が ほしい structure is simple and versatile, used to express “I want [something].”
We’ll also include pronunciation tips, example sentences, and an interactive quiz to make learning fun.
Step 1: Understanding ～が ほしい
Structure: [Noun] + が ほしい です
ほしい (hoshii) is an い-adjective meaning “wanted” or “desirable.”
が marks the noun as the thing you want, and です adds politeness.
Example: ほん が ほしい です。 (Hon ga hoshii desu.)
– I want a book.
Use for tangible things (e.g., books, pens) you want for yourself.
For actions (e.g., “I want to eat”), use a different structure (covered later in the challenge).
が emphasizes the desired object, unlike は.
Step 2: Vocabulary List
Here’s a table of JLPT N5 nouns and demonstratives to use with ～が ほしい.
| Words | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| ぎゅうにく | gyuuniku | beef |
| ぶたにく | butaniku | pork |
| とりにく | toriniku | chicken |
| やさい | yasai | vegetable |
| くだもの | kudamono | fruit |
| おさら | osara | plate, dish |
| スプーン | supu-nn | spoon |
| フォーク | fooku | fork |
| はし | hashi | chopsticks |
| みそしる | misoshiru | miso soup |
| ごはん | gohan | cooked rice |
Step 3: Grammar Rules
Basic Structure: [Noun] + が ほしい です
Example:
やさい が ほしい です。 (Yasai ga hoshii desu.) – I want vegetables.
みそしる が ほしい です。 (Misoshiru ga hoshii desu.) – I want miso soup.
With Demonstratives:
Use この/その/あの to specify.
Example:
この ごはん が ほしい です。 (Kono gohan ga hoshii desu.) – I want this rice.
あの はし が ほしい です。 (Ano hashi ga hoshii desu.) – I want those chopsticks.
Use これ/それ/あれ for standalone pronouns:
Example:
これ が ほしい です。 (Kore ga hoshii desu.) – I want this one.
それ が ほしい です。 (Sore ga hoshii desu.) – I want that one.
With Adjectives:
Combine with い-adjectives or な-adjectives
Example:
あかい くだもの が ほしい です。 (Akai kudamono ga hoshii desu.) – I want red fruit.
きれいな おさら が ほしい です。 (Kirei na osara ga hoshii desu.) – I want a pretty plate.
Negation:
Negate ほしい (い-adjective): Drop い, add くない.
Example:
この おさら は ほしくない です。 (Kono osara wa hoshikunai desu.) – I don’t want this plate.
Note: Use は for negation to focus on the noun, as ほしい describes the speaker’s desire.
Practice Section: Interactive ～が ほしい Quiz
Test your skills with this fun quiz! Choose the correct answer for each question.
Question 1: What does おちゃ が ほしい です mean?
Question 2: Translate “I want a pork.” to Japanese.
Question 3: Which means “I want a red fruit.”?
Question 4: What does “I don’t want a tea” mean?
Question 5: Translate “I want a red shirt.” to Japanese.
Question 6: Which means “I don’t want those chopsticks”?
Common Mistakes
Using は instead of が:
Wrong: この ペン は ほしい.
Correct: この ペン が ほしい.
Use が to mark the desired object.
Forgetting です:
Dropping です (e.g., ほん が ほしい) is casual but less polite for JLPT N5.
Always include です for exams.
Wrong negation:
Wrong: この ほん は ほしい じゃない.
Correct: この ほん は ほしくない です (use くない for い-adjectives).
Vague nouns:
ほん が ほしい is correct but vague.
Use この/その/あの for clarity (e.g., この ほん が ほしい).
Pronunciation:
Saying “HOH-shee” instead of hoh-shee for ほしい. Keep tones flat.
Conclusion
Awesome work on Day 36! You’ve learned to express desires with ～が ほしい, saying things like この ペン が ほしい です (I want this pen) and あかい ほん が ほしい です (I want a red book).
Subscribe to our newsletter or share a sentence using ～が ほしい in the comments – what do you want today?
See you tomorrow!
