Chapter 5: Expressing Desires

1. When you want to express your desire(s), use the TAI-Form
of a verb.

How to make TAI-Forms is quite easy:

Delete the -MASU part (of the formal form) of a verb. This gives you the STEM part of the verb.
Then, attach -TAI to the stem part.

Let's make TAI-forms of the following verbs!

2. The TAI morpheme is considered to be adjectival, and the formal style of -TAI is "V-stem+TAI DESU".
For instance, if you want to say:

Say the formal V-tai forms of the following verbs.

3. This "TAI-form" can be used only when the speaker wants to express her/his desire(s), not someone else's. We will learn later how to express a third person's desire.
The question form (i.e., .....-TAI DESU KA?) is used when asking your conversation partner's desire.
For instance, if you want to say:

4. The informal form of -TAI DESU is: V-stem+TAI.
So, if you want to say the following to your friend:

And, if you want to ask your friend:

  • Do you want to eat? tabe-tai
  • Do you want to drink? nomi-tai