How to Say ‘I want to take candid photos.’ in Japanese
自然な写真を撮りたいんだ。
shizen na shashin o tori tai n da
[shee-zehn nah shah-sheen oh toh-ree tai n dah]
💬 Usage Tip: [〜たいんだ] adds explanation and feeling: “I want to..., you see.” It sounds personal and conversational.
🇯🇵 In Japan: This kind of phrase works well when telling a friend about your creative idea, because it sounds sincere rather than too stiff.
Phrase Breakdown
自然な
shizen na
natural
An adjective meaning natural or unforced.
自然な笑顔ですね。
That's a natural smile.
Words in this phrase
自然
shizen
[shee-zehn]
natural
Means not forced, relaxed, or true to real life.
自然な写真を撮りたいんだ。
I want to take natural photos.
な
na
[nah]
-like; adjectival linker
The particle-like ending that turns some nouns into na-adjectives before a noun.
自然な写真を撮りたいんだ。
I want to take natural photos.
写真
shashin
[shah-sheen]
photo; photograph
A picture taken with a camera.
自然な写真を撮りたいんだ。
I want to take natural photos.
を
o
[oh]
object marker
A particle marking the direct object of the verb.
自然な写真を撮りたいんだ。
I want to take natural photos.
撮りたい
tori tai
want to take (photos); want to shoot
The たい-form of 撮る, used to express desire to take photos.
写真を撮りたいです。
I want to take a photo.
Words in this phrase
撮り
tori
[toh-ree]
take; photograph
The stem of 撮る, meaning to take a photo.
家族を撮り、自然な写真を撮りたいんだ。
I photograph my family, and I want to take natural photos.
たい
tai
[tai]
want to
Added to a verb stem to express wanting to do something.
自然な写真を撮りたいんだ。
I want to take natural photos.
ん
n
[n]
explanatory tone
Adds explanation or personal emphasis to what the speaker says.
自然な写真を撮りたいんだ。
I want to take natural photos.
だ
da
[dah]
is; explanatory ending
Plain ending that completes the explanatory phrase んだ.
だから、自然な写真を撮りたいんだ。
That's why I want to take natural photos.
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