How to Say ‘Want to say’ in Japanese
言いたい
ii tai
[ii tai]
💬 Usage Tip: [言いたい] comes from [言う] “to say” plus the [たい] form, which means “want to.” So it literally means “want to say.”
🇯🇵 In Japan: The [たい] form is very common in daily conversation: [食べたい] “want to eat,” [行きたい] “want to go.” It is one of the most useful patterns to learn early.
Phrase Breakdown
言い
ii
[ii]
say
The stem of 言う, meaning to say. Here it is part of 言いたい, 'want to say'.
本当のことを言います。
I say the truth.
たい
tai
[tai]
want to
Attached to a verb stem to express wanting to do something.
水を飲みたいです。
I want to drink water.
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