Last week we have learned the basic knowledge of “ほしい”. This week we will focus on words that cannot be used with it. Let’s have a look at some examples first.
True: 自由な時間が欲しいです。(I want some time for myself.)
False: 私は旅行が欲しいです。(I want to travel.)
As “時間(time)” is a noun, there is no problem to use it in the “ほしい” structure. However, “旅行(travel)” is a noun as well, why can’t it be used as “time”?
In fact, the interesting part is that if you add “する” behind “旅行”, it becomes “旅行する”, which means it is a verb. Therefore, if you want to express “I want to travel”, you have to say that “旅行したいです” as “xxしたい” is the authentic “want to…” structure for a verb.
Enjoy your weekend. See you next time!