JapaneseJLPT
JLPT N3 grammar · Chapter 20

～てもらいたい・～ていただきたい

Say that you want someone to do something

You’ll be able to express a request-like desire from your own perspective, choosing a neutral or more respectful form.

Illustration of the scene described by Before it gets dark, I want Ren to light the lantern.
Read it first

暗くらくなる前まえに、蓮れんにランタンをつけてもらいたい。

kuraku naru mae ni, ren ni rantan o tsukete moraitai.

What do you think this sentence means?

Before it gets dark, I want Ren to light the lantern.

Why it means that

Express the desire for someone to do something

～てもらいたい and polite ～ていただきたい express the speaker's desire that the listener or a third party perform an action ("I want you to...", "I would like to have you...").

Examples

兄あにに宿題しゅくだいを手伝てつだってもらいたい。

ani ni shukudai o tetsudatte moraitai.

I want my older brother to help me with my homework.

明日あしたは少すこし早はやく来きていただきたいです。

ashita wa sukoshi hayaku kite itadakitai desu.

I would like you to come a little early tomorrow.

How it is built

Attach もらいたい or いただきたい to the te-form

Attach もらいたい (plain/neutral) or いただきたい (humble/polite) to the te-form of a verb. The person performing the action is marked with に.

verb (te-form)+てもらいたい／ていただきたい
Example

詳くわしい資料しりょうをメールで送おくっていただきたいです。

kuwashii shiryou o meeru de okutte itadakitai desu.

I would like you to send the detailed materials by email.

Compare

～てもらいたい vs ～ていただきたい

Both say you want someone to do something. ～てもらいたい is neutral and suits family and friends. ～ていただきたい is humble and polite, for customers, teachers and superiors.

  • ～てもらいたい, I want you to (neutral)

    この書類しょるいを確認かくにんしてもらいたい。

    kono shorui o kakunin shite moraitai.

    I want you to check this document.

    To a friend or a junior colleague.

  • ～ていただきたい, I would like you to (polite)

    この書類しょるいを確認かくにんしていただきたいです。

    kono shorui o kakunin shite itadakitai desu.

    I would like you to check this document.

    To a customer or a boss.

Examples

新あたらしく入はいった皆みなさんには、分わからないことは何なんでも遠慮えんりょしないで聞きいてもらいたい。

atarashiku haitta minasan ni wa, wakaranai koto wa nan demo enryo shinaide kiite moraitai.

To all of you who have just joined, I want you to ask about anything you don’t understand without holding back.

会場かいじょうの中なかでは、携帯電話けいたいでんわの音おとを消けしていただきたいと思おもいます。

kaijou no naka de wa, keitai denwa no oto o keshite itadakitai to omoimasu.

Inside the venue, we would like you to turn off the sound on your mobile phones.

子こどもたちには、ゲームばかりしていないで外そとで元気げんきに遊あそんでもらいたい。

kodomotachi ni wa, geemu bakari shite inaide soto de genki ni asonde moraitai.

I want the children to play outside actively instead of only playing video games.

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