Translation guide
How to express 'wish for' in Japanese, covering desires for objects, outcomes, and actions, with attention to politeness and natural phrasing.
Expressing a wish for something, such as an item, result, or state.
Used to say you want something. It is an i-adjective and typically used for first-person desires or in questions. For third-person desires, use 欲しがる.
Pattern for wishing for a noun. The object of desire is marked with が.
平和が欲しい。
I wish for peace.
A more formal verb meaning 'to wish for' or 'to desire'. Often used in written or formal contexts.
世界平和を望む。
I wish for world peace.
Means 'to wish' or 'to pray for', often with a nuance of hoping or requesting. Common in set phrases.
幸せを願う。
I wish for happiness.
Expressing a desire for someone else to perform an action or for a situation to occur.
Used to say you want someone to do something. Attach to the te-form of a verb.
A slightly more polite or indirect way to express wanting someone to do something, using the receiving verb もらう.
手伝ってもらいたい。
I wish for you to help me.
Expresses a hope that something will happen. Often used for things beyond one's control.
明日晴れるといい。
I wish for it to be sunny tomorrow.
Using fixed phrases to express wishes, often in greetings or formal speech.
Literally 'I pray', used in formal expressions like 'I wish for your happiness'.
ご多幸をお祈りします。
I wish for your happiness.
The te-iru form of 願う, often used to express an ongoing wish or hope.
平和を願っています。
I am wishing for peace.
Expressing a wish that is unlikely or impossible, similar to 'if only'.
Used to express a wish that something were the case, often with a sense of regret or longing.
もっと時間があればいいのに。
I wish I had more time.
Similar to 〜ばいいのに, expressing a wish for a different reality.
彼が来たらいいのに。
I wish he would come.
Directly translating 'wish for' as 願う or 望む can sound overly formal or dramatic in casual speech. For everyday desires, use 欲しい or 〜てほしい.
欲しい is for wanting things (nouns), while 〜てほしい is for wanting actions (verbs). Do not confuse them.