Meaning & usage
The suffix たい expresses that the speaker wants to do the action of the verb. It attaches to the masu-stem, as in 食べたい or 行きたい, and conjugates like an i-adjective, so the negative is たくない and the past is たかった. You can use たいですか to ask the listener what they want to do, but statements about a third person usually require forms like たがる or たいと言っている.
Example sentences 6
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もっとやりたいことがある。
There's something else I want to do.
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先生になりたいんだ。
I'd like to be a teacher.
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言いたくないことは言わなくていいからね。
You don't have to say anything you don't want to say.
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テレビを見たくないです。
I don't want to watch TV.
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新しいパソコンが買いたいんだけど、お金がない。
I want to buy a new laptop, but I don't have the money.
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お父さんになりたいですか？
Do you want to become a father?
In past JLPT papers
This came up in 20 past exam questions.
And 16 more tests.
