ABSTRACT
The English verb want can be used to express desire for things and actions. Moreover, people can use this same verb to describe their own desire as well as others. This chapter describes various methods to express desire in Japanese. The adjective hoshii is used only for describing desire for material objects. In order to express their desire to take some action, use the combination of a verb stem and the adjectival ending -tai. Whether expressing is a desire for material objects or a desire to take some action, they need to describe a third partys desire with more complex patterns, as if to reflect the difficulty of accessing the internal feelings of distant people. This means that they need to use additional structures for them. The requirement is even stronger when they describe the desire of a senior or respected individual. Grammar points are followed by contextualized examples and exercises which allow students to reinforce and consolidate their learning.
