Gyūnyū o katte-kite hoshii-n da kedo. (I want you to buy some milk.)
Situation 1: Mr. Shiba arrives at the station near his house and calls his wife from there.
夫：今、ひがし駅にいるけど、何か買うものある？
妻：じゃ、牛乳を買ってきてほしいんだけど。
Otto: Ima, Higashi eki ni iru kedo, nanika kau mono aru?
Tsuma: Ja, gyūnyū o katte-kite hoshii-n da kedo.
Husband: I’m at Higashi Station at the moment, is there anything I should buy?
Wife: Yeah, I want you to buy (and bring back) some milk.
When a verb in the te-form, “X,” is combined with ほしい, or a verb in the nai-form is combined with でほしい, the structure conveys an expression of an informal request or wish, in which the speaker wants another person to do something. The subject 私 (わたし, I/me) tends to be omitted from this pattern:
ちょっと手伝(てつだ)ってほしいんだけど。
(I’d like you to help me a bit.)
ここに自転車(じてんしゃ)を止(と)めないでほしいんですが。
(I’d rather you didn’t park your bicycle here.)
In daily conversation, adding “んだけど” or, more politely, “んですが” to the sentence suggests a sense of reservation that softens the demand, as seen in Mrs. Shiba’s response in Situation 1. Note that using Xほしい is different from Xたい, which shows the speaker’s will:
ここに自転車を止めたいです。
(I’d like to park my bicycle here.)
The Xほしい structure, is also used when hoping for a specific situation or natural phenomenon to occur:
毎日(まいにち)雨(あめ)が降(ふ)っているから、晴(は)れてほしいですね。
(It has been raining every day, I wish it would be sunny.)
新型(しんがた)コロナウイルスが早(はや)くなくなってほしいですね。
(I hope the novel coronavirus dies out soon.)
The particle “ね” is added to this pattern when the speaker is looking for affirmation.
Situation 2: Ms. Gray asks her co-worker Mr. Mita to help her.
グレイ：三田さん、この箱を一つ運んでもらいたいんだけど。
三田：うん、いいよ。けっこう重いね。
Gurei: Mita-san, kono hako o hitotsu hakonde-moraitai-n da kedo.
Mita: Un, ii yo. Kekkō omoi ne.
Gray: Mr. Mita, can you carry this box for me?
Mita: Yeah, OK. It’s quite heavy.
A verb in te-form/nai-form combined with もらいたい is almost the same as a verb in te-form/nai-form with ほしい:
この本(ほん)は、世界中(せかいじゅう)の子(こ)どもたちに読(よ)んでもらいたい。
(I want this book to be read by children around the world.)
But, unlike the te-form/nai-form with ほしい, this expression is not used to wish a situation or natural phenomenon.
Bonus Dialogue: Ms. Tamachi is talking about the upcoming presentation with her junior co-worker Mr. Morishita.
森下(もりした)：あの、プレゼンの資料(しりょう)を作(つく)ったんですけど、見(み)ていただけますか。
田町(たまち)：そうね。ここのスライドの字(じ)はもっと大(おお)きくしてほしいんだけど。字が小(ちい)さいと、読みにくいっていう方(かた)も多(おお)いから。
森下：ああ、そうですね。気(き)がつきませんでした。すぐに直(なお)します。
田町：それから、森下さんには、話(はな)すときに、皆(みな)さんとちゃんと目(め)を合(あ)わせてもらいたいな。そうしないと、説得力(せっとくりょく)がないよ。
森下：わかりました。練習(れんしゅう)します。
田町：プレゼンにはお客(きゃく)さんがたくさん来(き)てほしいね。
森下：えっ、それは緊張(きんちょう)します。
田町：でも、こういうプレゼンの機会(きかい)を何度(なんど)も経験(けいけん)すると、プレゼンがうまくなるのよ。
森下：それはそうですね。がんばります。[ひとりごと] ほんとうは、プレゼンのとき、田町さんに助(たす)けてもらいたいなあ。
Morishita: Ms. Tamachi, I put together the presentation materials. Would you mind having a look?
Tamachi: Let’s see. I want you to make the letters in the slides bigger. If the letters are small, many people will find it hard to read.
Morishita: Oh, you’re right. I hadn’t noticed. I will fix that immediately.
Tamachi: And Mr. Morishita, when you speak, I’d like you to make eye contact with everyone. Otherwise, you’re not convincing enough.
Morishita: I understand. I’ll practice.
Tamachi: I’d like a lot of customers to come to this presentation.
Morishita: Well, that makes me nervous.
Tamachi: But if you experience these kinds of presentations again and again, you’ll become good at them.
Morishita: That’s true. I’ll do my best. [to himself] Honestly, I want Ms. Tamachi to help me while I’m doing my presentation.
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