Japanese course

Lesson 24 of 240

New here? This is lesson 24 of a free 240-lesson Japanese course.

Start hereHow this works

I want in Japanese

Leo ducks into Kissa Hotaru still wet from the Yanaka rain. His jacket drips on the mat, and Goro looks up from the corner booth.

Goro asks what Leo wants. Leo wants a dry jacket. Goro wants more toast. Masako says they need a towel.

By the end, you'll say what you want and what you need, and you'll turn something down.

Keep the polite style. These lines work with staff and with people you have just met.

By the end of this lesson

Say what you want and what you need.

  • ___がほしいです。I want ___.
  • 食(た)べたいです。I want to eat.
  • 行(い)きたいです。I want to go.
  • ___が必要(ひつよう)です。I need ___.
  • それはほしくないです。I don't want that.
  • 何(なん)がほしいですか。What do you want?

Scene — a dripping jacket

Rain still falls on the Yanaka lane. Leo pushes into Kissa Hotaru with a dripping jacket and a wet bag.

Masako looks up from the counter. In the corner booth, Goro sits on two seats with an empty toast plate and a blend coffee he has not finished.

Leo enters Kissa Hotaru from the rainy lane as Masako looks up from the counter and Goro sits beside an empty toast plate in the corner booth.

Learn — want and need

Six short lines cover what you want, what you need, and how to turn something down.

You'll also get a question, so you can ask someone else.

  1. Leo gestures toward a dry jacket hanging on a peg while Masako watches from behind the counter.

    ___がほしいです。

    I want ___.

    When to use it: Say this when you want a thing, not an action.

    Learn it as one piece for a thing you want.

  2. Goro looks down at his empty toast plate, wanting something to eat.

    食(た)べたいです。

    I want to eat.

    When to use it: Say this when you want to eat something.

    Learn it as one piece for wanting to eat.

  3. Leo looks out through the open doorway toward the rainy lane, wanting to leave.

    行(い)きたいです。

    I want to go.

    When to use it: Say this when you want to go somewhere.

    Learn it as one piece for wanting to go.

  4. Leo grips his soaked bag beside a folded towel, showing that he needs it.

    ___が必要(ひつよう)です。

    I need ___.

    When to use it: Say this when you must have a thing.

    Learn it as one piece for a thing you need.

    Say it: 必要 has a long vowel in よう.

  5. Leo leans back and raises an open palm as Masako sets down toast and Goro nudges the plate toward him.

    それはほしくないです。

    I don't want that.

    When to use it: Say this to turn down a thing someone offers.

    Learn it as one piece when you do not want that.

  6. Goro looks up from his unfinished coffee toward Leo as if asking what Leo wants.

    何(なん)がほしいですか。

    What do you want?

    When to use it: Ask this to find out what someone wants.

    Learn it as one piece when you ask what they want.

Story — toast and a towel

Watch Leo drip on the mat at Kissa Hotaru. Goro asks what he wants before Masako finds a towel.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Rain ticks on the window. Leo's jacket drips on the mat.
  2. Masakoどうしましたか。What's wrong?
  3. Leoすみません。濡(ぬ)れています。Sorry. I'm wet.
  4. From the corner booth, Goro looks up from his unfinished coffee.
  5. Goro何(なん)がほしいですか。What do you want?
  6. Leoジャケットがほしいです。I want a jacket.
  7. Goro glances at his empty toast plate.
  8. Goro食(た)べたいです。I want to eat.
  9. Goroトーストがほしいです。I want toast.
  10. Masakoタオルが必要(ひつよう)です。We need a towel.
  11. Masako sets down thick toast. Goro nudges the plate toward Leo.
  12. Leoそれはほしくないです。I don't want that.
  13. Leo looks at the door, then at his wet sleeves.
  14. Leo行(い)きたいです。I want to go.
  15. Masakoちょっと待(ま)ってください。Just a moment, please.

Practice — jacket or toast

Ten quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Japanese

    ___がほしいです。Drop the English here
    食(た)べたいです。Drop the English here
    行(い)きたいです。Drop the English here
    ___が必要(ひつよう)です。Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its Japanese, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    You step in dripping. Masako looks at your wet jacket.

  4. Fill the gap

    I want ___.

    _______ほしいです。

  5. What does it mean?

    それはほしくないです。

  6. Pick the reply

    Goro says:

    何(なん)がほしいですか。

    What do you want?

    And you reply with:

  7. Build the line

    I want to eat.

    。

    Tap the words in order.

  8. Swap the word

    You want to leave and change out of the wet jacket.

    ____です。

  9. Find the mistake

  10. What do you say?

    Leo stands in the doorway dripping. Ask what is wrong.

Say it — say what you want

Now you're Leo, still wet from the rain. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. Goro何(なん)がほしいですか。What do you want?
  2. Leo (you)Say you want a jacket.

    ___がほしいです。

    I want ___.

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

JapaneseEnglish
___がほしいです。I want ___.
食(た)べたいです。I want to eat.
行(い)きたいです。I want to go.
___が必要(ひつよう)です。I need ___.
それはほしくないです。I don't want that.
何(なん)がほしいですか。What do you want?
Next: lesson 25No thanks, that's enough

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