How to Say ‘Want to be (stay) (with someone)’ in Japanese
いたい
itai
[ee-tie]
💬 Usage Tip: This is [いる] + [〜たい] (want to). By itself it can sound incomplete, so it usually appears as [一緒にいたい] (“I want to be together”).
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese love talk often stays slightly indirect; using [〜たい] can feel sweet but not overly dramatic.
Phrase Breakdown
いたい
itai
[ee-tie]
want to be (in a state); would like to stay
〜たい expresses desire (“want to do”). With いる (to be), it becomes いたい (“want to be/stay (with someone)”). Common in dating: “I want to be with you.”
もっと一緒にいたい。
I want to be together more.
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