4.2 Wants & Ability (〜たい, できる)

Expressing 'want to'

Add 〜たい (tai) to a verb stem to say you want to do it: 食べたい (tabetai) = want to eat, 行きたい (ikitai) = want to go. It conjugates like an い-adjective.

Wanting a thing

For wanting a noun, use 〜が欲しい (ga hoshii): 新しい電話が欲しい (I want a new phone).

Ability

できる (dekiru) = can/be able to: 日本語ができます (I can speak Japanese). Or use the verb's potential form: 食べる → 食べられる (can eat), 話す → 話せる (can speak).

Key terms

〜たい

want to (do): 食べたい (want to eat)

〜が欲しい

want (a thing): 電話が欲しい

できる

can / be able to: 日本語ができます

Potential form

食べられる (can eat), 話せる (can speak)

〜たい conjugation

behaves like an い-adjective

Try an AP-style question

"にほんへいきたいです" means…

1. I can go to Japan
2. I must go to Japan
3. I went to Japan
4. I want to go to Japan