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LEARN + JAPANESE / 11 of 186 JLPT N5

On My Wish List ほしい

You spot the last piece of strawberry cake and say それがほしいです. Use ほしい for a thing you want; use たい when what you want is an action.

Hint · 힌트
ほしい takes が for the thing wanted, the same pattern たい runs on. Neither borrows を, even though English “want” would normally take a direct object. Both wants describe a state you’re in, not an action you’re doing to the object.
Hint · 힌트
Talking about someone else’s want swaps ほしい for 欲しがっている, the exact same shift たい makes into たがっている. Notice the particle changes too, 欲しがる takes を like a normal verb, while plain ほしい takes が like an adjective. The whole word class changes, not just the ending.

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