Japanese I-7

Vocabulary


English
sake (casual)
sake (formal)
beer

restaurant
Nanbantei

is desirable
is not desirable


romaji
sake
o-sake
biiru

resutoran
nambantei

hoshi-i
hoshi-ku ari-masen


kana
さけ
おさけ
ビール

レストラン
なんばんてい

ほしい
ほしく　ありません


Sample sentences

Eng: I want sake now

lit: sake! it is desirable now


formal
ima o-sake ga hoshi-i desu.

いま　おさけが　ほしい　です。


casual
ima o-sake hoshi-i.

いま　おさけ　ほしい。


Comments

The following comments explain some of the grammar in more detail.

Particles

ga – が

In the same way that ‘wo’ (を) marks the direct object of a verb, ‘ga’ (が) marks the direct object of an adjective. In the following example, ‘sake’ is the direct object of the verb ‘to drink’ (nomu), so it is marked with を, and is also the direct object of the adjective ‘wanted’ (hoshi-i), so it is marked with が.


English
I drink sake
sake! it is desirable (I want sake!)

Sake! it is good (Sake is good!)
Sake! it is likeable (I like sake!)


romaji
o-sake wo nomi-masu
o-sake ga hoshi-i desu

o-sake ga i-i desu (i-adj.)
o-sake ga suki desu (na-adj.)


If we want to contrast the noun and something else, we use ‘wa'(は) instead of ‘ga'(が):


English
Sake? It is desirable (unlike something else)
Sake? It is good (unlike something else)
Sake? It is likeable (unlike something else)


romaji
o-sake wa hoshi-i desu
o-sake wa i-i desu
o-sake wa suki desu


Adjectives

hoshi-i – ほしい, 欲しい

wanted; wished for; in need of; desired; desirable

The i-adjective ‘hoshi-i’ plays the role of the English verb ‘to want’. Instead of saying ‘I want beer’, we’d say ‘beer is desired/desirable’, or ‘beer is wished for’.


sake is desirable (I want sake)
formal
causal
 
sake is not desirable (I don’t want sake)
formal+
formal
casual


o-sake ga hoshi-i desu
o-sake hoshi-i

 
o-sake ga hoshi-ku arimasen
o-sake ga hoshi-ku nai desu
o-sake hoshi-ku nai


We use ‘hoshi-i’ to describe our own desires, not those of other people.