Translated examples
新しいかばんがほしいです。
I want a new bag.
もっと時間がほしいです。
I want more time.
日本語の辞書がほしいです。
I want a Japanese dictionary.
今は休みがほしいです。
Right now, I want a break.
Meaning
〜がほしい means that the speaker wants a thing, time, rest, or something that can be treated like a noun.
Formation
Put the noun before がほしい. For example, 水がほしい means you want water, and 時間がほしい means you want time.
Usage
Use this pattern when talking about what you want to have. It is common in daily conversation, shopping, studying, and travel situations.
Nuance
This pattern is natural for your own desire. For another person, Japanese often uses 〜をほしがる or says what the person said, because directly stating another person's inner desire can sound too certain.
Comparison
Use 〜がほしい for nouns and 〜たい for actions. 本がほしい means you want a book, while 本を読みたい means you want to read a book.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is using を before ほしい. The standard beginner pattern is noun + がほしい. Another mistake is using ほしい for actions; use 〜たい instead.
Related Grammar
Japanese Tai Form: Wants, Negatives, Past Forms, and Practice
Form たい from the ます-stem, change its tense and negative, compare ほしい, and practise six explained questions.
〜てほしい
〜てほしい (te hoshii) is used when you want someone else to do something. It expresses your wish about another person's action.
〜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.