"Want" to do something...

In this lesson we will learn how to say that we want to do something. This is very easy and a very useful thing to learn. You will use it all the time.  Basically what you do is add tai desu たい です to a verb sentence.

I want to go to Japan
Watashi wa nihon e ikitai desu.わたしは　にほん へ いきたい　です。
Here tai desu た い です is added to the verb ikimasu いきます. All you do is take off the masu ます and put in tai desu たい です.

*NOTE:  you can not use this for third person.

Also verbs that use the particle o を like in ocha o nomimasu お ちゃ をのみます(to drink Japanese tea) change to ga が  like ocha ga nomitai desu おちゃ が のみたい です (I want to drink Japanese tea).

Here are some more examples:
I want to eat sushi.
Watashi wa osushi ga tabetai desu.わたしは おすし がたべたい です。

Now to make the negative of this like you don't want to do something you change tai desu たい です to takunai desu たくない です.

I don't want to swim.watashi wa oyogitaku nai desu.わたしは およぎたくない です。

I don't want to go to Japan.
Watashi wa nihon e ikitakunai desu.わたしは にほん へ いきたくないです。

Now for a third person instead of tai desu た い です you use tagatte imasu たがっています. It is very important that you use third person this way as it will be tested often when you study Japanese in school.

Keiko wants to go to Japan.
Keiko san wa Nihon e ikitagatte imasu.けいこさんは　にほん へ　いきたがっています。

Masahiro wants to eat sushi.
Masahiro san wa osushi o tabetagatte imasu.まさひろさんは おすし　を たべたがっています、

*NOTE Notice how in third person o を does not change to ga が.

Now to say someone does not want to do something you add tagatte imasen　たがっていません.
Mika does not want to swim in the ocean.
Mika san wa umi de oyogitagatte imasen.みかさんは うみ で およぎたがっていません。

Written by: Aaron, from japaneselearning.com