〜てほしい
te hoshii
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Meaning
"I want (someone) to ~" — the speaker wants another person to do something.
The person you want to act is marked with に. For the opposite, use 〜ないでほしい ("I want you not to ~"). ほしい conjugates like an い-adjective.
Expressing wishes about other people's actions; softer than a direct request.
Formation
V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
(Person に) + V-て + ほしいNegative: V-ない + でほしいConjugates as an い-adj (ほしかった, ほしくない)
Visual diagram
- 私はspeaker (the one who wants)
- 友達にperson who should act: に
- 手伝ってverb in て-form
- ほしいwant (い-adjective)
Natural examples
友達に手伝ってほしいです。
ともだちにてつだってほしいです。
I want my friend to help me.
私の話を聞いてほしい。
わたしのはなしをきいてほしい。
I want you to listen to me.
母に早く元気になってほしい。
ははにはやくげんきになってほしい。
I want my mother to get well soon.
この話は誰にも言わないでほしい。
このはなしはだれにもいわないでほしい。
I don't want you to tell anyone about this.
電話しないでほしかった。
でんわしないでほしかった。
I wish you hadn't called.
Similar grammar and the difference
〜たい
〜たい is your own wish to do something (行きたい = I want to go). 〜てほしい is your wish for someone else to do it (行ってほしい = I want you to go).
A polite request that asks for action directly. 〜てほしい states your wish and is more casual. Compare side by side
For a third person's wish that someone else act, use 〜てほしがっている (子供は父に来てほしがっている). Compare side by side
Common mistakes
- ✗
- 私は日本へ行ってほしい。(meaning "I want to go to Japan")
- ✓
- 私は日本へ行きたい。
- Why
- 〜てほしい is about someone else's action. Your own wish to act is 〜たい.
- ✗
- 友達が手伝ってほしい。
- ✓
- 友達に手伝ってほしい。
- Why
- The person you want to act takes に, not が. (が would mark what you want, as in 車がほしい.)
- ✗
- 電話しなくてほしい。
- ✓
- 電話しないでほしい。
- Why
- The negative wish uses ないで + ほしい, not なくて.
〜てほしい can also express a wish about things or events: 早く週末になってほしい (I want the weekend to come soon), 雨がやんでほしい. 〜てほしいと思う / 〜てほしいんですが softens the wish into a polite request between colleagues. Do not use bare 〜てほしい to a boss or customer; upgrade to 〜ていただきたいのですが or 〜ていただけませんか.
JLPT N4 tips
On the exam
- If the sentence has a person marked with に and a wish, the blank is 〜てほしい; if the subject and the doer are the same person, it is 〜たい.
- Negative wishes: the correct form is 〜ないでほしい. Distractors include 〜なくてほしい and 〜てほしくない (which is possible but means "I don't want you to", a different nuance).
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜てほしい mean?
"I want (someone) to ~" — the speaker wants another person to do something. The person you want to act is marked with に. For the opposite, use 〜ないでほしい ("I want you not to ~"). ほしい conjugates like an い-adjective.
How do you form 〜てほしい?
(Person に) + V-て + ほしい / Negative: V-ない + でほしい / Conjugates as an い-adj (ほしかった, ほしくない). V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
When is 〜てほしい used?
Expressing wishes about other people's actions; softer than a direct request.
What is the difference between 〜てほしい and 〜たい?
〜たい is your own wish to do something (行きたい = I want to go). 〜てほしい is your wish for someone else to do it (行ってほしい = I want you to go).
What is the difference between 〜てほしい and 〜ていただけませんか?
A polite request that asks for action directly. 〜てほしい states your wish and is more casual.
What is a common mistake with 〜てほしい?
Wrong: 私は日本へ行ってほしい。(meaning "I want to go to Japan") Right: 私は日本へ行きたい。 〜てほしい is about someone else's action. Your own wish to act is 〜たい.
Quick check
引っ越しの日は、兄に車を（ ）ほしい。