<Lesson 17>
In this
lesson, you will learn how to express the desire
to do something and how to ask
permissions .
A, The desire to do something ( verb+tai/takunai desu)
There are two kinds of basic expressions for expressing the desire for something.
One _expression uses
"hoshii" <e.g watashi wa kuruma ga hoshii desu ( I
want a car)> (see=> lesson-14)
"hoshii desu"(to want) can't be
connected with verbs but only with a noun or a pronoun
followed by the particle "ga"
It expresses the wish for having
something.
The another _expression
uses the
verbal adjunct "-tai"which is added to the masu-form
of the verb.
That is to say "-tai" replaces
"-masu" in the masu-form of the verb. It expresses
the wish to do something.
Let's see some sentences as examples.
Positive
form <-tai たい >
Watashi wa atarashii ie
o/ga kai-tai desu. ( I want to
buy a new house)
私は新しい
家を（ or家が）買いたいです。
( watashi wa atarashii ie ga
hoshii desu= I want a new house )
* kai-tai
=> pre-masu form of "kau" + tai
* The "-tai"adjunct is preceded by
either the particle "o" or "ga"
In the above
sentence, "ga"is used when the object "atarashii ie"
is stressed, while "o" is used when
,instead ,the action
of "kau"is to be emphasized
Negative
form <-takunai たくない>
Watashi wa kono
ryouri o/wa tabe-takunai desu. ( I don't
want to eat this food)
私
はこの料理を（ or料理は）食べたくないです。
( watashi wa kono ryouri wa
hoshi-kunai desu= I don't want this food )
* tebe-takunai
=> pre-masu form of "taberu"+ takunai
* The "takunai" adjunct is
preceded by the particle "o" or the
particle "wa" which is prefered as this is
a negative sentence.
In this case, the word preceding the particle "wa" is
not the subject of
sentence, but its
topic.
Let's practice these expressions with exercises.
Exercise1
Please change the form of the following verbs and
make sentences as in the example.
e.g
話すhanasu(to speak)=> hanashi-tai 話したい/hanashi-takunai 話したくない
I want to speak Japanese=>watashi
wa nihongo o hanashi-tai desu. 私は日本語を話したいです。
I don't want to tell my
secret=>watashi wa watashi no himitsu o
hanashi-takunai desu. 私は私の秘密を話したくないです。
*himitsu=secret
1, 飲むnomu(to drink)=>
I want to drink a cup
of coffee=>
I don't want to drink
cold coffee=>
2, 見るmiru(to see)=>
I want to see
interesting movies=>
I don't want to see
uninteresting movies=>
*interesting=お
もしろい
3, するsuru(to do)=>
I want to do shopping
at that shop=>
I don't want to do
shopping here=>
*shopping=買い物（かいもの）
4, 行くiku(to go)=>
I want to go to Japan
next year=>
I don't want to go to
school today=>
*next year=来年（らいねん）
5, 売るuru(to sell)=>
I want to sell my old
car.=>
I don't want to sell
my important books=>
*
important=大切（たいせつ）-noun adj
6, 乗るnoru( to get
on)=>
I want to get on the
next train=>
I don't want to get
on the plane.=>
*next=つぎの *plane=飛行機（ひこうき）
< Important grammatical notes 1>
As you can see from the
tai=>takunai transformation,
"-tai" has the same inflections as
true adjectives such as "ookii", "atarashii". You can
use "-tai"
_expression not only in
predicative usage ( as you saw in the above sentences
) but also attributively just like true adjectives.
( as you learned in lesson-3 )
Thus,
watashi no/kai-tai/hon
(literally: my / want to buy /book
) (proper translation: the book I want to buy)
anata no/iki-tai/tokoro
(literally: your / want to go
/place) (proper translation: the place where you want
to go)
anata no/iki-takunai/mise
(literally: your /don't want to go
/shop) (proper translation: the shop you don't want to
go)
Exercise-2 Please insert proper phrase in blanks and complete sentences, as in the example.
e.g This is the book I want to read => これは（ 私の読みたい本 ）です。
1, This is the movie
I want to see.
これは (
)
です。
2, That man is the
person I want to meet. *to meet=a-u
*person=hito
あの人は (
)
です。
3, This is the
Japanese food I want to eat.
これは (
)
です。
4, This is the job
I don't want to do
これは (
_____
) です。
5, The
person I don't want to speak with is he.
(
)
は 彼です。
< Important Grammatical notes 2>
"-tai" denotes the inner feeling
of the speaker like quite a few true adjectives such
as "ureshii(joyful)"
"kanashii ( sad)",
"sabishii(lonely)" Generally, it is not proper to use it
for third persons. In that case,
the _expression can add
"no"immediately before "desu"or "-tai" can be
replaced by"tagatte-iru".
Let's see some examples
<correct usage>
anata wa nihon
ni iki-tai
desu ka. ( Do you want to go to Japan?)
Hai, watashi wa
nihon ni iki-tai
desu (Yes, I want to go
to Japan )
Iie, watashi wa nihon ni iki-takuwaarimasen
or iki-takunai desu.
<wrong usage> for the
third person
kare wa nihon
ni iki-tai
desu ka
Hai, kare wa
nihon ni iki-tai
desu.
Iie, kare wa
nihon ni iki-takunai
desu.
<correct usage1> for the
third person
kare wa nihon
ni iki-tai
no desu ka. (
Does he want to go to Japan?)
Hai, kare wa nihon
ni iki-tai
no desu (Yes,
he wants to go to Japan)
Iie, kare wa
nihon ni iki-takunai
no desu. (No,
he doesn't want to go to Japan)
*The _expression of "no desu" can be used not
only for the third person. but also for "watashi"
If "no desu" is used with the subject
"watashi"the sentence conveys
the feeling that the speaker(watashi) wants to
explain why he wants to do something
<correct usage2> for the
third person
kare wa nihon
ni iki-tagatte
imasu ka.(Does he want to go to Japan?)
Hai,kare wa
nihon ni iki-tagatte
imasu (Yes,
he wants to go to Japan)
Iie, kare wa
nihon ni iki-tagatte
imasen. (No, he doesn't want to go to Japan)
Exercise 3 Please change the following sentences into Japanese, as in the example.
e.g Does he
want to drink beer? Yes, he wants to drink beer
(with "tagaru")
kare wa biiru o nomi-tagatteimasu
ka. Hai, kare wa biiru o nomi-tagatteimasu.
彼はビールを飲みたがっていますか。はい、
Do they want to get on the the train.
karera wa densha ni nori-tai no
desu ka. Iie, karera wa densha ni nori-takunai no desu.
彼らは電車に乗りたいのですか。いいえ、
1, Does Mr,Suzuki want to live in New York? Yes. Che wants to live in New York. ( with "tagaru")
2, Do the students want to study Japanese? Yes, they want to study Japanese.( with " no")
3, Do they want to play outside ? No, they don't want to play outside.( with "tagaru") *to play=遊ぶ（あそぶ）
4, Does she want to buy his old car? No,
she doesn't want to buy his old car.( with "no")
B, Request for permission and answer (verb +もいいですか -mo ii-desuka )
Let's see this simple conversation between A and B ( Please click HERE to listen to this conversation. )
A, Chotto sumimasen ga, koko de tabako o
sutte-mo ii desuka
ちょっとすみませんが、ここでたばこを吸ってもいいですか。
( Excuse me, May I smoke here ? )
B, Iie, koko wa tabako o sutte-wa ikemasen.
いいえ、ここはたばこを吸ってはいけません。
( No, you must not smoke here)
A, Dewa, asoko de sutte-mo ii desuka.
では、あそこで吸ってもいいですか。
( So, may I smoke over there ?)
B, Hai, asoko wa sutte-mo ii desu yo.
はい、あそこは吸ってもいいですよ。
( Yes, you may smoke there)
< MO II DESU もいいです>
"sutte-mo ii desu." is participle(te-form) of
"suu(to smoke)" followed by the adjunct "mo ii-desu"
"participle form of verb +mo ii-desu ka "is the
basic form for asking
permission to do something.
"participle form of verb + mo ii- desu" is the
basic form for giving
permission to do something.
<WA IKEMASEN はいけません>
"sutte-wa ikemasen"is participle(te-form) of "suu"
followed by the adjunct "wa ikemasen"
"participle form of verb + wa ikemasen" is
the basic form for prohibiting
an action.
Let's practice to make such sentences.
Exercise 4. Please make proper replies , as in the example.
e.g Anata no jisho o tsukatte mo ii desuka
あなたの辞書を使ってもいいですか。
( May I use your dictionary?) *tsukatte=participle of
"tsukau"
Yes=> Hai, watashi no jisho
o tsukatte mo ii desu. はい、私の辞書を使ってもいいです。
No => Iie, watashi no jisho
o tsukatte wa ikemasen. いいえ、私の辞書を使ってはいけません。
1, Kono heya ni haitte mo ii desuka.
この部屋に入ってもいいですか。( May I enter into this room ?)
Yes=>
No=>
2, Eigo de tegami o kaite mo ii desuka
英語で手紙を書いてもいいですか。( May I write a letter by English?)
Yes=>
No =>
3, Akari o keshite mo ii desuka
灯りを消してもいいですか。(May I turn off the light ?) *keshite=participle
of "kesu"(to extinguish)
Yes=>
No =>
4, Ano mado o akete mo ii desuka
あの窓を開けてもいいですか。( May I open that window?) *mado=window
Yes=>
No=>
5, Kono hana o totte mo ii desuka
この花を採ってもいいですか。( May I take this flower? ) *totte=participle
of "toru"(to take)
Yes=>
No =>
6, kanojo ni kono hon o agete mo ii desuka
彼女にこの本を上げてもいいですか。( May I give her this book?) *agete=participle
of "ageru"(to give)
Yes=>
No=>
Exercise 5 Please translate the following sentences into Japanese.as in the example.
e.g I want to use your pen. May I use
your pen?
(watashi wa) anata no pen o
tsukai-tai no desu ga , tsukatte mo ii desuka.
（私は）あなたのペンを使いたいのですが、使ってもいいですか。
1, I want to close the window . May I close the window ? (to close=閉める)
2, I want to meet with you. May I go to your home ?
3, I want to drive a car. May I borrow your car ? ( to borrow=借りる)
4,
I don't want to go back home. May I stay at your
home today ? (to stay=泊まる) (to go back=帰る)
------------------------------