What is 〜てほしい (te-hoshii)?
〜てほしい expresses that you want someone to do something. It combines the te-form of a verb with ほしい to show your desire for another person's action.
[Verb te-form] + ほしい
来てほしい
"I want (you/them) to come"
手伝ってほしい
"I want (you/them) to help"
Formation
Basic Pattern
Verb (te-form) + ほしい
Plain: 〜てほしい
Polite: 〜てほしいです
来る → 来て → 来てほしい / 来てほしいです
"want (someone) to come"
手伝う → 手伝って → 手伝ってほしい
"want (someone) to help"
Core Meaning
Want Someone to Do
Expresses your desire for another person to perform an action.
静かにしてほしい
"I want (you) to be quiet"
説明してほしい
"I want (you) to explain"
待ってほしい
"I want (you) to wait"
Particle Usage
に Marks the Person
The person you want to do something is marked with に.
友達に来てほしい
"I want my friend to come"
彼に手伝ってほしい
"I want him to help"
先生に教えてほしい
"I want the teacher to teach (me)"
Omitting the Person
When context is clear, the person is often omitted:
来てほしい
"I want (you) to come"
手伝ってほしい
"I want (you) to help"
わかってほしい
"I want (you) to understand"
Conjugation
Like ほしい, てほしい conjugates as an i-adjective.
Present Affirmative
来てほしい / 来てほしいです
"want (someone) to come"
手伝ってほしい / 手伝ってほしいです
"want (someone) to help"
Present Negative
来てほしくない / 来てほしくないです
"don't want (someone) to come"
手伝ってほしくない
"don't want (someone) to help"
Past Affirmative
来てほしかった / 来てほしかったです
"wanted (someone) to come"
手伝ってほしかった
"wanted (someone) to help"
Past Negative
来てほしくなかった / 来てほしくなかったです
"didn't want (someone) to come"
手伝ってほしくなかった
"didn't want (someone) to help"
Common Patterns
〜てほしいんです (explanatory)
手伝ってほしいんです
"The thing is, I want you to help"
来てほしいんですが
"I want you to come (but...)"
〜てほしいと思う (I think I want)
Softens the request.
来てほしいと思います
"I think I want you to come"
手伝ってほしいと思っている
"I'm thinking I want you to help"
〜てほしかった (wanted someone to)
Expressing past desires.
来てほしかった
"I wanted you to come"
わかってほしかった
"I wanted you to understand"
Making Requests
Direct but Personal
てほしい is more personal than ください but less direct than commands.
More formal: 手伝ってください
"Please help"
Personal: 手伝ってほしい
"I want you to help"
Direct command: 手伝って
"Help"
Polite Requests
Add です or combine with other patterns:
手伝ってほしいです
"I want you to help" (polite)
手伝ってほしいんですが
"I want you to help (softened)"
手伝ってほしいと思うんですが
"I think I want you to help (very soft)"
Common Conversations
Example 1: Asking for Help
A: どうしたの？
"What's wrong?"
B: ちょっと手伝ってほしいんだけど
"I want you to help me a bit"
A: いいよ、何？
"Sure, what?"
B: この荷物を持ってほしい
"I want you to carry this luggage"
Example 2: Making a Wish
A: 誕生日、何かほしい？
"Do you want anything for your birthday?"
B: パーティーをしてほしい
"I want you to throw a party"
A: いいね！計画しよう
"Nice! Let's plan it"
Example 3: Expressing Feelings
A: 彼女、怒ってるね
"She's angry"
B: うん、わかってほしかったんだと思う
"Yeah, I think she wanted me to understand"
A: 話してみたら？
"Why don't you try talking to her?"
Common Verbs with てほしい
Communication
わかってほしい - want (someone) to understand
聞いてほしい - want (someone) to listen
話してほしい - want (someone) to talk
教えてほしい - want (someone) to teach
説明してほしい - want (someone) to explain
Actions
来てほしい - want (someone) to come
行ってほしい - want (someone) to go
手伝ってほしい - want (someone) to help
待ってほしい - want (someone) to wait
やってほしい - want (someone) to do
States
いてほしい - want (someone) to be there
信じてほしい - want (someone) to believe
覚えてほしい - want (someone) to remember
考えてほしい - want (someone) to think about
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Wrong particle for person
Wrong: 友達を来てほしい ❌
Right: 友達に来てほしい ✓
"I want my friend to come"
Mistake 2: Using plain ほしい with actions
Wrong: 手伝うがほしい ❌
Right: 手伝ってほしい ✓
"I want (you) to help"
Plain ほしい is for objects:
お金がほしい ✓
"I want money"
Mistake 3: Confusing with たい
Wrong: 彼に行きたい ❌
Right: 彼に行ってほしい ✓
"I want him to go"
Or if you want to go with him:
彼と行きたい ✓
"I want to go with him"
Negative Desires
Don't Want Someone To
来てほしくない
"I don't want (you) to come"
知ってほしくない
"I don't want (you) to know"
心配してほしくない
"I don't want (you) to worry"
忘れてほしくない
"I don't want (you) to forget"
Special Expressions
どうしても〜てほしい (want no matter what)
どうしても来てほしい
"I want you to come no matter what"
どうしてもわかってほしい
"I want you to understand no matter what"
〜てほしいだけ (just want)
わかってほしいだけ
"I just want you to understand"
聞いてほしいだけ
"I just want you to listen"
〜てほしくてたまらない (want so badly)
会ってほしくてたまらない
"I want to see you so badly"
わかってほしくてたまらない
"I want you to understand so badly"
Expressing Wishes and Hopes
Personal Wishes
幸せでいてほしい
"I want you to be happy"
元気でいてほしい
"I want you to stay healthy"
そばにいてほしい
"I want you to stay by my side"
忘れないでほしい
"I want you to not forget"
For Others' Wellbeing
無理しないでほしい
"I don't want you to push yourself"
気をつけてほしい
"I want you to be careful"
頑張ってほしい
"I want you to do your best"
Politeness Levels
Casual
来てほしい
"I want you to come"
手伝ってほしくない
"I don't want you to help"
Polite
来てほしいです
"I want you to come"
手伝ってほしいんですが
"I want you to help (but...)"
Very Polite/Indirect
来ていただきたいんですが
"I would like you to come (humble)"
お手伝いいただけますか
"Could you help?" (indirect request)
With Conditional Forms
〜てほしかったら (if you want someone to)
来てほしかったら、電話して
"If you want me to come, call me"
手伝ってほしかったら、言ってね
"If you want me to help, tell me"
〜てほしければ (if you want)
わかってほしければ、説明して
"If you want me to understand, explain"
Comparing Similar Patterns
てほしい vs てください
てほしい: Personal desire
手伝ってほしい
"I want you to help" (personal feeling)
てください: Request
手伝ってください
"Please help" (polite request)
てほしい vs たい
てほしい: Want someone else to do
来てほしい
"I want you to come"
たい: Want to do yourself
行きたい
"I want to go"
Cultural Notes
Expressing Desires
In Japanese culture, directly expressing what you want from others can be considered forward. てほしい is relatively direct, so:
- Use with close friends/family more freely
- Add softeners like んです、と思う in formal situations
- Consider more indirect patterns with superiors
Implying Requests
Sometimes てほしい implies a request rather than just stating a wish:
手伝ってほしいんだけど
"I want you to help (so will you?)"
Practice Sentences
Basic Wishes
来てほしい
"I want you to come"
わかってほしい
"I want you to understand"
信じてほしい
"I want you to believe (me)"
待ってほしい
"I want you to wait"
With Person Marked
友達に来てほしい
"I want my friend to come"
彼に手伝ってほしい
"I want him to help"
先生に教えてほしい
"I want the teacher to teach (me)"
Negative
来てほしくない
"I don't want you to come"
心配してほしくない
"I don't want you to worry"
知ってほしくない
"I don't want you to know"
Past
来てほしかった
"I wanted you to come"
わかってほしかった
"I wanted you to understand"
そばにいてほしかった
"I wanted you to be by my side"
Softened Requests
ちょっと手伝ってほしいんだけど
"I want you to help me a bit"
説明してほしいんですが
"I want you to explain (but...)"
来てほしいと思うんです
"I think I want you to come"
Wellbeing Wishes
幸せでいてほしい
"I want you to be happy"
元気でいてほしい
"I want you to stay healthy"
無理しないでほしい
"I don't want you to push yourself"
笑っていてほしい
"I want you to keep smiling"
Related Grammar Points
- 〜たい (tai) - Want to do
- 〜ほしい (hoshii) - Want something
- 〜たがる (tagaru) - Want to (3rd person)
- 〜てください - Please do
- Te-form Conjugation - Basic te-form
- 〜てもらう (te-morau) - Have someone do
- Making Requests - Various request patterns