How to say 'Want' in Japanese | 欲しい

Wondering how to say 'Want' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Want is 'Hoshii', written as 欲しい in Japanese.'Want' in hiragana is ほしい.

word

欲しい

Meaning

Want

Reading

ほしい

hoshii

Kanji

欲Desire, Longing

Explanation

The Japanese adjective '欲しい (ほしい)' means 'want'. It is used to express a desire for something or someone. This word is often used to indicate that the speaker wants a specific object or outcome. For example: I want a new car「新しい車が欲しい」(あたらしいくるまがほしい). She wants that book「彼女はその本が欲しい」(かのじょはそのほんがほしい). It can also be used to express a desire for someone to do something, as in 'I want you to come with me'「一緒に来て欲しい」(いっしょにきてほしい). Note that '欲しい' is typically used for tangible objects or specific actions, and it conveys a personal desire.

Part Of Speech

adjective

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

386

Composition

kanji-hiragana

Handwriting

This word is an i-adjective. To learn how it transforms in different tenses and forms, explore all its conjugations.

Kanji in the Word 欲しい

This word contains 1 kanji character:

kanji

欲

Meaning

Desire, Longing

Hiragana in the Word 欲しい

This word contains 2 Hiragana characters :

hiragana

し

Reading

Shi

hiragana

い

Reading

Words Related to 欲しい Through the Kanji 欲

These 7 Words contain the Kanji 欲 as well.

word

欲しがる

Meaning

Want

word

意欲

Meaning

Motivation

word

欲望

Meaning

Desire

word

食欲

Meaning

Appetite

word

欲求

Meaning

Demand, Desire

word

欲

Meaning

Desire

word

欲張り

Meaning

Greedy

Learn the Word 欲しい

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What does 'Hoshii' (欲しい) mean?

'Hoshii' means 'Want' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.