ほしい・欲しいhoshii[2]nakadaka (mid-high)

JLPT N5approx.Common
Definitions
  1. i-adjectivewanting (to have); desiring; wishing for
    私は鉛筆えんぴつをけずるナイフがほしい。↗
    I want a knife to sharpen my pencil with.
  2. i-adjective, auxiliary adjectiveI want (you, them, etc.) to (do)after the -te form of a verb
    この書類しょるいをそれぞれ2部ぶずつコピーしてほしいんだが。↗
    I'd like two copies of each of these documents.
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.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • 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

Japanese definitions
  1. 自分じぶんのものにしたい、得えたい。
  2. 性行為せいこういを求もとめたくなるような欲動よくどうを感かんじる。
  3. (補助ほじょ形容詞けいようし)人ひとにしてもらいたい。
  4. そうありたい、あることが望のぞましい。
English equivalents

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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