～てほしい (want someone to do)

• Reading: てほしい
• Romaji: te hoshii
• Formation: Person + に + Verb て-form + ほしい

Meaning

Expresses the speaker's desire for someone else to perform an action. The person being asked is marked with に, and the verb takes the て-form before ほしい.

てほしい is used when the speaker wants another person to do something. It is most natural when directed at someone of equal or lower status. For superiors, more indirect expressions like ていただきたい are preferred. The negative form てほしくない expresses a wish that someone not do something, while ないでほしい asks someone not to do something. Unlike a direct request with てください, てほしい simply states the speaker's wish rather than commanding action, making it softer in some contexts but also more self-centred in tone.

Examples

1. もっと早く来てほしい。 I want you to come earlier.
2. 彼にこの仕事を手伝ってほしい。 I want him to help with this work.
3. 母にはいつまでも元気でいてほしい。 I want my mother to stay healthy forever.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: expressive

Do Say

• 週末は一緒に買い物に行ってほしい。
• もう少し静かにしてほしいんだけど。
• 子供たちには好きなことを見つけてほしい。

Don't Say

• 先生に説明してほしいです。(てほしい is too direct for superiors — use 先生に説明していただきたいです) → 先生に説明していただきたいです。
• 友達が来てほしい。(The person desired to act should be marked with に, not が — use 友達に来てほしい) → 友達に来てほしい。

Origin & History

てほしい combines the conjunctive て-form with the adjective ほしい (desire), extending its meaning from wanting objects to wanting actions performed by others.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal