～てほしい

How to form it

• Verb (て-form) + ほしい
• Negative request: Verb (ない-form, e.g. 行かない) + でほしい
• The person who should act is marked with に: 友達に来てほしい

Register: Neutral

Explanation

Expresses a wish that another person does something.

It states a wish, not an order, but it can still sound direct if said to the person themselves. Softer wording such as ～てもらえるとうれしい is often chosen with a superior.

Examples

1. 友達に手伝ってほしい。

   ともだちにてつだってほしい。

   I want my friend to help me.

2. もう少し静かにしてほしいです。

   もうすこししずかにしてほしいです。

   I would like you to be a little quieter.

3. 母には、いつも元気でいてほしい。

   ははには、いつもげんきでいてほしい。

   I want my mother to stay well always.

Compare with

• ～たい: ～たい is the speaker's own wish to act.
• ～てもらう: ～てもらう states that one actually received the action.

Common mistakes

• Marking the person who should act with が instead of に (友達が来てほしい is not the usual pattern).
• Using it for the speaker's own action; use ～たい.