Examples
Meaning
〜てほしい means that you want someone to do something. It focuses on your wish, not on directly ordering the other person.
Formation
Use the て form of a verb and add ほしい. The person you want to act is often marked with に, as in 友だちに手伝ってほしい.
Usage
Use this pattern when explaining what you want another person to do. It is common when talking about hopes, requests, family situations, school, and work.
Nuance
〜てほしい can sound softer than a command, but it still expresses a personal wish toward someone. In direct conversation, adding polite wording can make it less demanding.
Comparison
〜てください is a request made to the other person. 〜てほしい states that you want the action to happen. 〜たい is for your own action, while 〜てほしい is for someone else's action.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is using the dictionary form before ほしい. Say 手伝ってほしい, not 手伝うほしい. Also, do not use 〜てほしい when you simply want an object; use 〜がほしい.
Related Grammar
〜たい
〜たい (tai) is used to say that you want to do something. It is a basic way to express your own desire in Japanese.
〜がほしい
〜がほしい (ga hoshii) means that you want something. It is used for nouns, not for actions.
〜たがる・〜ほしがる
〜たがる and 〜ほしがる are used to describe another person's desire from the outside. They are useful when talking about what someone seems to want.
〜ようと思う
〜ようと思う (you to omou) expresses that you are thinking of doing something or have an intention to do it. It is softer than a firm plan.