Bookverse
English
Bookverse - Get started

Japanese · JLPT Band 1 (N5) · Chapter 37

きっぷが ほしいですI want a ticket

Kippu ga hoshii desu

Shopping and asking for things in the city. Vocabulary: kippu, chizu, kasa, kōhī, okane, menyū, chotto, zenbu de, hoshii, onegaishimasu. Key grammar: to say you want a thing, use "N ga hoshii desu". "Hoshii" is an i-adjective and takes "ga" (just like "suki desu" in chapter 27): "mizu ga hoshii desu" (I want water). Chapter 21's "…tai desu" attaches to a verb ("mizu ga nomitai desu"), while "hoshii" attaches to a noun. To ask politely in a shop or station, "…o onegaishimasu" and "…o kudasai" are handy. English speakers, thinking of "I want ~", tend to use "o": "kippu o hoshii desu" ✗ → "kippu ga hoshii desu" ✓. Culture corner: city life in Japan (§5).

Help improve this content. If something looks off,let us know →

Dialogue

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study

きっぷを ほしい / きっぷが ほしい— kippu o hoshii / kippu ga hoshii

  1. YukiマMaイiクkuさsaんn、えeきkiにniつtsuきkiまmaしshiたta。なNaにniがgaいiりriまmaすsuかka？Mike, we've reached the station. What do you need?
  2. MikeとうTōきょうkyōまmaでdeのnoきkiっpぷpuをoほhoしshiいiでdeすsu。I want a ticket to Tokyo. (slip: "hoshii" takes "ga", not "o" → kippu ga hoshii desu)
  3. Yuki「ほHoしshiいi」はwa「がga」をoつtsuかkaいiまmaすsu、「すsuきkiでdeすsu」とtoおoなnaじjiでdeすsu：「きkiっpぷpuがgaほhoしshiいiでdeすsu」。"Hoshii" uses "ga", just like "suki desu": "kippu ga hoshii desu".
  4. MikeなNaるruほhoどdo。とうTōきょうkyōまmaでdeのnoきkiっpぷpuがgaほhoしshiいiでdeすsu。まMaどdoぐguちchiでdeたtaのnoみmiまmaすsu。I see. I want a ticket to Tokyo. I'll ask at the window.
  5. MikeすSuみmiまmaせseんn、とうTōきょうkyōまmaでdeのnoきkiっpぷpuをoおoねneがgaいiしshiまmaすsu。Excuse me, a ticket to Tokyo, please.
  6. YukiじょうJōずzuでdeすsuねne！「〜をoおoねneがgaいiしshiまmaすsu」はwaみmiせseでdeもmoえeきkiでdeもmoつtsuかkaえeまmaすsu。Well done! "…o onegaishimasu" works in both shops and stations.

Dialogue

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study

カフェで— At the café

  1. KenユYuキkiさsaんn、なnaにniがgaほhoしshiいiでdeすsuかka？Yuki, what would you like?
  2. YukiコーKōヒーhīがgaほhoしshiいiでdeすsu。ケKeンnさsaんnはwa？I want a coffee. And you, Ken?
  3. KenぼBoくkuはwaおoちゃchaがgaいiいiでdeすsu。メMeニューnyūをoくkuだdaさsaいi。I'd prefer tea. Could I have the menu?
  4. YukiすSuみmiまmaせseんn、コーkōヒーhīをoひhiとtoつtsuとtoおoちゃchaをoひhiとtoつtsuおoねneがgaいiしshiまmaすsu。Excuse me, one coffee and one tea, please.
  5. KenあAりriがgaとうtō。ぜZeんnぶbuでdeいiくkuらraでdeすsuかka？Thanks. How much is it in total?
  6. YukiろRoっpぴゃpyaくkuえeんnでdeすsu。わWaたtaしshiがgaはhaらraいiまmaすsu。つTsuぎgiはwaケKeンnさsaんn、おoねneがgaいiしshiまmaすsuねne。Six hundred yen. I'll pay. Next time it's on you, Ken.

Vocabulary

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study
きkiっpぷpu

nounticket

ちchiずzu

nounmap

かkaさsa

nounumbrella

コーkōヒーhī

nouncoffee

おoかkaねne

nounmoney

メmeニューnyū

nounmenu

ちょchoっtとto

adverba little; excuse me

ぜzeんnぶbuでde

expr.in total

ほhoしshiいi

i-adj.to want (a thing)

おoねneがgaいiしshiまmaすsu

expr.please; I'd like

Grammar

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study

…ga hoshii desu and "onegaishimasu"

Explanation

To say you want a thing, use "N ga hoshii desu". "Hoshii" is an i-adjective, and the thing you want takes "ga", not "o" (the same rule as "suki desu" in chapter 27): "atarashii kasa ga hoshii desu" (I want a new umbrella), "mizu ga hoshii desu" (I want water). The negative is "…wa hoshiku nai desu": "kōhī wa hoshiku nai desu" (I don't want coffee). Note: "…tai desu" from chapter 21 attaches to a verb ("mizu ga nomitai desu" = to drink water), while "hoshii" attaches to a noun ("mizu ga hoshii desu" = water itself). To ask politely in a shop, station or restaurant, "N o onegaishimasu" (softer than kudasai) and "N o kudasai" (chapter 19) are handy: "kōhī o onegaishimasu" (coffee, please). English speakers, thinking of "I want a ticket", tend to use "o": "kippu o hoshii desu" ✗ → "kippu ga hoshii desu" ✓.

Examples

  • あたらしい かさが ほしいです。I want a new umbrella.
  • コーヒーは ほしくないです。おちゃが ほしいです。I don't want coffee. I want tea.
  • えきで きっぷを おねがいします。A ticket, please, at the station.
  • ちずが ほしいです。ぜんぶで いくらですか？I want a map. How much is it in total?

Culture

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study

にほんの まちの せいかつCity life in Japan

A Japanese city moves around its train stations. Trains are extremely punctual, and people wait in neat lines. When you want help in town, if you call out "sumimasen" (excuse me), most people will kindly help you.

Stations and trains

In big cities everyone gets around by train or subway. Instead of buying paper tickets, many people use an "IC card" (Suica or PASMO): you just tap at the gate to ride. Stations have shops and toilets inside, like a small world of their own. On the platform, people wait in an orderly line behind the white line.

Convenience stores and shops

A "konbini" (convenience store) is everywhere in town and open all day. You can do almost anything — food, drinks, tickets, even withdrawing money. When you shop, the clerk says "irasshaimase" (welcome). You often place your money on a small tray. Being able to say "…o onegaishimasu" (…, please) and "…wa arimasu ka" (do you have …?) makes shopping much easier.

Courtesy in town

In town, quietness is valued. On the train people do not talk on the phone; they text instead. You do not smoke while walking or drop litter. When you ask someone for something, you begin with "sumimasen" and end with "arigatō gozaimasu" (thank you). These few words soften the space between you and a stranger.

A Japanese city is quiet, precise and kind. With just three phrases — "sumimasen", "…o onegaishimasu" and "arigatō gozaimasu" — you can walk with confidence at the station, in a shop or on the street.

Kana

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study

カタカナの のばす おと「ー」— The katakana long-vowel mark "ー"

Read the words:

  • コーヒーkōhīcoffee — long "o" and long "i"
  • メニューmenyūmenu — "nyu" then long "u"
  • きっぷが ほしいですkippu ga hoshii desuI want a ticket ("ga")
  • コーヒーを おねがいしますkōhī o onegaishimasucoffee, please ("o" = /o/)

Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?

Study in the app →

Report an issue

Spotted an error or have a suggestion? Every report helps us improve this content.