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Wishes, invitations and abilities – Japanese N5 grammar

〜たい, 〜がほしい, 〜ませんか, 〜ましょう – six forms for saying what you want and for inviting someone along.

〜たい · I want to do something

one’s own wish to do something

Speaks of the speaker’s own wish. Japanese does not state other people’s wishes outright — it treats another person’s feelings as something we cannot see from outside, and reaches for other means instead (たがる follows at N4). The resulting expression inflects like an い-adjective.

masu-stem + たい; the object often changes を to が

Examples

  • 日本にほんへ行いきたいです。I want to go to Japan.Only one’s own wish is being spoken of.
  • 冷つめたい水みずが飲のみたいです。I feel like drinking some cold water.The object takes が here instead of を — typical of たい.

〜がほしい · I want to have…

wanting to have a thing

It refers to a thing, not an action — and that is what sets it apart from たい. The thing wanted takes が, because ほしい is an adjective, not a verb. The same restriction applies as with たい: it is said outright only of one’s own wish.

noun + が + ほしいです

Examples

  • 新あたらしい自転車じてんしゃがほしいです。I want a new bicycle.The object of the wish, not an action.
  • もう少すこし時間じかんがほしいです。I would like a little more time.Intangible things take ほしい as well.
  • 新あたらしいかばんが欲ほしいです。I want a new bag.欲しい is read ほしい. Here it expresses a wish to have the thing marked by が.

〜ませんか · shall we…?; wouldn’t you like to…?

an invitation leaving the other person free to decline

An invitation put as a negative question — it is exactly that negation that makes declining easy and puts nobody in an awkward position. It floats an idea the listener does not know about yet.

masu-stem + ませんか

Examples

  • いっしょに昼ひるごはんを食たべませんか。Shall we have lunch together?A suggestion that can comfortably be turned down.
  • 今度こんどの日曜日にちようび、映画えいがを見みませんか。Shall we see a film this Sunday?The idea comes up in the conversation for the first time.
  • いっしょに公園こうえんを歩あるきませんか。Shall we take a walk in the park together?ませんか invites the listener to do this action together.
  • 今夜こんや、家いえでお茶ちゃを飲のみませんか。Shall we have tea at home tonight?ませんか invites the listener to do this action together.

〜ましょう · let’s…

proposing a shared action or accepting an invitation

It directly proposes a shared action, without asking whether the listener wants to join. It can also accept an earlier invitation. The plan need not already be settled; for a new suggestion, ませんか usually leaves the listener’s choice more explicit.

masu-stem + ましょう

Examples

  • そろそろ出でかけましょう。Let’s start getting ready to go.It may refer to an outing agreed on earlier, but the form itself does not say whether such an agreement took place.
  • ここで少すこし休やすみましょう。Let’s rest here for a while.A direct proposal to rest together, without asking whether the listener wants to.
  • 今夜こんやは早はやく帰かえりましょう。Let’s go home early tonight.ましょう proposes a shared action here.
  • ここで少すこし休やすみましょ。Let’s rest here for a while.ましょ is a contracted invitation in casual conversation. Use the full ましょう in polite speech.

〜ことができます · I can…, I am able to…

the ability or the opportunity to do something

Turns a verb into a noun by means of こと and predicates of it that it is doable. It covers both one’s own skill and an opportunity created by circumstances.

verb in dictionary form + ことができます

Examples

  • わたしはピアノをひくことができます。I can play the piano.An acquired skill.
  • ここでは日本語にほんごを話はなすことができます。Here you can speak Japanese.A possibility arising from the place, not from anyone’s skill.
  • ここで本ほんを借かりる事ことができます。You can borrow books here.事ができる is an attested spelling of ことができる. Here 事 nominalizes an action; official-document style writes this こと in hiragana.
  • この店みせではカードで払はらうことが出来できます。You can pay by card at this shop.出来る is read できる and expresses ability or possibility here. This variant changes only the spelling of できる; こと remains in kana.

〜がじょうずです / へたです · is good / poor at something

judging how good someone is at an activity

Evaluates a level of skill. The field takes が. Using じょうず about oneself can sound boastful, so it is usually avoided in a neutral self-introduction.

person + は + field + が + じょうずです / へたです

Examples

  • 妹いもうとは歌うたがじょうずです。My sister sings well.An evaluation of someone else’s skill. Using じょうず about oneself can sound boastful, but it is not categorically forbidden.
  • わたしは料理りょうりがへたです。I am a poor cook.へた is natural when describing one’s own weakness. Self-praise with じょうず calls for care and an appropriate context.
  • 妹いもうとは歌うたがじょうずですから、一緒いっしょに歌うたいましょう。My sister sings well, so let’s sing together.が marks the area of skill, and から presents this assessment as the reason for the following action.
  • 私わたしは料理りょうりがへたですから、外そとで食たべます。I am a poor cook, so I eat out.が marks the area of skill, and から presents this assessment as the reason for the following action.
  • 兄あには料理りょうりが上手じょうずです。My older brother is good at cooking.上手 is read じょうず here. It evaluates skill in an activity, rather than a direction or position.
  • 私わたしは歌うたが下手へたです。I am bad at singing.下手 is read へた here. It evaluates a low level of skill, rather than a direction or position.

Where this comes from

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