ほしい・欲しいhoshii[2]nakadaka (mid-high)
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- i-adjectivewanting (to have); desiring; wishing for
- i-adjective, auxiliary adjectiveI want (you, them, etc.) to (do)after the -te form of a verb
Conjugation
| Plain form | ほしい |
|---|---|
| Polite (desu) | ほしいです |
| Negative (kunai) | ほしくない |
| polite (ku arimasen) | ほしくありません |
| Past (katta) | ほしかった |
| Past negative (kunakatta) | ほしくなかった |
| Te form (kute) | ほしくて |
| Adverbial (ku) | ほしく |
| Conditional (kereba) | ほしければ |
| kattara | ほしかったら |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
- Related好ましいこのましいWrittenWritten/formal prose. An evaluation that something is likeable or desirable; 「欲しい」 is your own wish to have something.
- Related望ましいのぞましいNeutralNeutral. Means ideal or preferable, as in 「早めの対応が望ましい」; it does not express a personal desire.
- Related願わしいねがわしいWrittenWritten/formal prose for what one hopes will be so; very rare — say 「望ましい」 in everyday speech.
- Antonym不要ふようNeutralThe opposite of 「欲しい」: unneeded; leans written, as in 「不要な物を捨てる」.
- Antonym要らないNeutralThe opposite of 「欲しい」: not needed or unwanted, as in 「袋は要らない」.
Use 「欲しい」 for things you yourself want. For what is ideal or preferable, use 「望ましい」; 「好ましい」 and 「願わしい」 are written alternatives. To say you don't want something, use 「要らない」 in speech or 「不要」 in writing.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


