Practice JLPTHow to tell them apart
たい attaches to a verb stem and expresses wanting to perform an action, while ほしい takes a noun marked by が or を and expresses wanting to possess a thing. The core split is action versus object: 食べたい answers what you want to do, while ケーキがほしい answers what you want to have. Saying ケーキをほしい for an action or 食べたい for a noun is ungrammatical.
- たい Use たい when you want to do an action expressed by a verb.
- 欲しい・ほしい Use ほしい when you want to obtain or possess a noun.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| たい tai | Want to | N5 |
| 欲しい・ほしい shii hoshii | Want (object) | N5 |
たい tai
Want to
Want (to do something); would like (to do something) | An auxiliary adjective which expresses a desire to do something.
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三木さんは車を買いたがっている。
Mr. Miki wants to buy a car.
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今日は何を・が食べたいですか。
What do you want to eat today?
欲しい・ほしい shii hoshii
Want (object)
Something is desired by the speaker.
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あなたは今何が欲しいですか。
What do you want now?
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パムはステレオを欲しがっている。
Pam wants a stereo.
たい and 欲しい・ほしい are both JLPT N5 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side — meanings, usage and example sentences — so you can tell them apart.