Since I personally focus on speaking Japanese and use romaji to learn, this post will only cover the spoken side; no hiragana, katakana, or kanji here. If you’re learning to read Japanese, I recommend using other resources or asking ChatGPT for guidance.
(Feel free to check out the r/languagelearning and r/LearnJapanese subreddits for extra resources or recommendations).
🔰 I don’t have any certificates, just a learner sharing what I know, so if I get something wrong, feel free to double-check or correct me!
💬 I’m still learning Japanese too, (on my journey from bronze to grandmaster), I document everything in my weekly language progress logs.
Every week I post a page with:
- A short speaking video or update
- My test assessment
- Notes and improvements
- What rank I’m at (from Bronze to Grandmaster)
👉 Check out the Language Progress Glossary Here
The -tai form is used to express wanting to do something. It’s super common in daily conversation.
Think of -tai form like the -masu form, the conjugation process is similar. If you’re already comfortable with -masu verbs, learning -tai is straightforward.
(If you’re not confident yet, check out my beginner page on -masu form: Japanese Formal Form (in romaji)
When using -tai, the verb acts like an -i adjective, which is important when you want to say “don’t want to.” More on that below.
🧠 Quick Conjugation Cheatsheet
| Verb Type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ichidan (る-verbs ending in iru/eru) | Drop -ru, add -tai | taberu → tabetai |
| Godan (all other -u verbs) | Change -u to -i, add -tai | nomu → nomitai |
| Irregulars (suru/kuru) | Unique forms | suru → shitai, kuru → kitai |
📝 Note: Note: Most -iru/-eru verbs are Ichidan, but not all. There are some Godan exceptions examples further below.
There’s no perfect rule just from spelling, but you can usually tell by looking at the syllable before -ru:
- If the verb ends in -eru or -iru, it’s usually Ichidan, but not always.
- If it ends in -aru, -oru, -uru, it’s almost always Godan.
Unfortunately you’ll just have to learn and memorize them
✅ Basic Examples
| Verb | Meaning | -tai Form |
|---|---|---|
| taberu | to eat | tabetai |
| nomu | to drink | nomitai |
Example sentences:
- Sushi ga tabetai. – I want to eat sushi.
- Jūsu ga nomitai. – I want to drink juice.
🧩 Note on the Particle “ga”
When using -tai form, the object is often marked with ga instead of wo, because wanting is a personal, emotional desire.
- It’s not wrong to use wo, but ga is more common.
- This only affects wo, other particles like ni, de, etc., are still used as normal.
Examples:
Neko ga mitai. – I want to see the cat (emphasizing desire for the cat).
Pūru de oyogitai desu. – I want to swim in the pool.
Densha de Shibuya ni ikitai desu. – I want to go to Shibuya by train.
🙆 Making It Formal
To make the sentence more polite, just add desu:
- Sushi ga tabetai desu. – I want to eat sushi.
You can add honorifics too:
O-sushi ga tabetai desu.
I cover this honorific in my formal post: Japanese Formal Form (in romaji)
🧑🤝🧑 Casual vs Formal Style
Particles like ga, wo, or ni are often dropped in casual speech:
nihongo hanashitai →
nihongo de hanashitai →
nihongo de hanashitai desu
(I want to speak in Japanese.)
Osaka ita koto nai, kedo akihabara ikitai →
Osaka ni ita koto ga nai, kedo akihabara ni ikitai →
Osaka ni ita koto ga nai, kedo akihabara ni ikitai desu
(I have never been to Osaka, but I want to go to Akihabara.)
⚠️ Just be careful: not all particles can be dropped even in casual speech, so listen to native speakers and adjust with exposure.
Ichidan Verbs (Easy Mode) — Drop -ru, Add -tai
| Dictionary | Meaning | Stem | +tai | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| taberu | to eat | tabe | +tai | tabetai |
| miru | to see | mi | +tai | mitai |
| neru | to sleep | ne | +tai | netai |
| akeru | to open | ake | +tai | aketai |
Godan Verbs – Change Final -u to -i, Add -tai
| Dictionary | Meaning | Stem | +tai | Final Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| kaku | to write | kaki | +tai | kakitai |
| nomu | to drink | nomi | +tai | nomitai |
| hanasu | to speak | hanashi | +tai | hanashitai |
| matsu | to wait | machi | +tai | machitai |
| shinu | to die | shini | +tai | shinitai |
| yobu | to call | yobi | +tai | yobitai |
😵💫 Confusing Ru-Verbs: Ru-Godan Verbs That Look Ichidan
Some verbs end in -iru or -eru but are actually Godan! Watch out for these:
| Verb | Group | Meaning | Stem | -tai Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| kaeru (帰る) | Godan | to return | kaeri | kaeritai |
| hashiru | Godan | to run | hashiri | hashiritai |
| hairu | Godan | to enter | hairi | hairitai |
| kiru (切る) | Godan | to cut | kiri | kiritai |
| shiru | Godan | to know | shiri | shiritai |
| kaeru (変える) | Ichidan | to change | kae | kaetai |
🔍 Notice: kaeru has two versions! One is to return (Godan), the other is to change (Ichidan). You’ll learn to tell them apart more easily by use and kanji.
🧠 Even in romaji, you’ll learn to tell them apart from context and eventually by kanji, if you plan to learn it.
🔁 The True Irregular Verbs
Only two true irregular verbs in Japanese:
| Dictionary | Meaning | -tai Form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| suru | to do | shitai | benkyō shitai |
| kuru | to come | kitai | ashita kitai |
- Furansugo ga benkyou shitai desu. – I want to study French.
- Ashita pati ni kitai desu ka?. – Will you come to the party tomorrow?
❌ How to Say “Don’t Want to ___”
Since -tai verbs act like -i adjectives, we negate them just like regular -i adjectives:
Drop the final -i and add -kunai
| Verb | -tai Form | Negative Form |
|---|---|---|
| taberu | tabetai | tabetakunai |
| kaku | kakitai | kakitakunai |
| hashiru | hashiritai | hashiritakunai |
| suru | shitai | shitakunai |
| kuru | kitai | kitakunai |
Examples:
- Tamanegi ga tabetakunai desu. → I don’t want to eat onions.
- Kanji de kakitakunai desu. → I don’t want to write in Kanji.
- Ashita hashiritakunai desu. → I don’t want to run tomorrow.
✅ Summary
- -tai expresses “want to ___”
- Follows similar rules to -masu
- Turns verbs into -i adjectives
- Negative = -takunai
- Formal = + desu
- Only true irregulars: suru → shitai, kuru → kitai
- Use ga instead of wo to mark the object when expressing desire
🎯 Practice Suggestion
Want to test yourself? Open up ChatGPT and ask for:
- Quizzes on conjugations
- Practice sentences
- Help checking what endings conjugate to.
ChatGPT is a great free practice partner!
🧱 Why I Learn This Way
While I continue learning Japanese and other languages, I also make money online through beermoney apps. It’s not much, but it helps me feel like I’m turning my free time into something more productive and fun.
👇 Check out my glossaries below
💸 Beermoney Glossary:
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👉 Beermoney reviews
📈 Monthly Earnings Tracker:
Want to see exactly what I cashed out every month? My Monthly Earnings Tracker has screenshots of my app cashouts, plus updates on my trading and investment accounts, all in one place, month by month.
👉 Monthly earnings
🌍 Language Learning Glossary:
Curious what languages I’m learning? Check out my Language Learning Glossary for weekly progress updates. I post short speaking videos, track my progress, share my personal study notes, and break down the rank criteria I follow.
👉 Language progress