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Don't want to do
Definition
The grammar pattern "〜たくない" is used to express a desire not to do something. It is the negative form of "〜たい" and is formed by attaching "たくない" to the masu-stem of a verb. This pattern is often used to express reluctance or unwillingness to do something. For example, "明日は休みです。どこにも行きたくない" means "I don't want to go anywhere tomorrow because it's a holiday." The nuance of this pattern is that it emphasizes the speaker's reluctance or unwillingness to do something, rather than simply stating that they won't do it.
Structure
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masu-stem of a verb | Verb + たくない | 行く + たくない = 行きたくない |
| Past negative form | Verb + た + がら + なかった | 行く + た + がら + なかった = 行きたがらなかった |
| Negative form of たい-form | Verb + たくない + です | 行きたい + たくない + です = 行きたくないです |
Examples
明日は休みです。どこにも行きたくない。
Ashita wa yasumi desu. Doko ni mo ikitaku nai.
I don't want to go anywhere tomorrow because it's a holiday.
明日は休みです。 (Tomorrow is a holiday.) どこにも (anywhere) 行きたくない (don't want to go)
この薬はまずいから、飲みたいことはない。
Kono kusuri wa mazui kara, nomitai koto wa nai.
I don't want to take this medicine because it tastes bad.
この薬はまずいから (because this medicine tastes bad) 飲みたいことはない (don't want to take)
昨日は寒かったから、外に出たいことはなかった。
Kinou wa samukatta kara, soto ni detai koto wa nakatta.
I didn't want to go outside yesterday because it was cold.
昨日は寒かったから (because it was cold yesterday) 外に出たいことはなかった (didn't want to go outside)
明日は試験があるから、勉強したくない。
Ashita wa shiken ga aru kara, benkyou shita kukanai.
I don't want to study tomorrow because there's a test.
明日は試験があるから (because there's a test tomorrow) 勉強したくない (don't want to study)
Context
The pattern "〜たくない" is used to express a desire not to do something. It is often used in informal situations and is not typically used in formal writing or speech. It is also not used to express a general dislike or hatred for something, but rather a specific reluctance or unwillingness to do something. For example, "この食べ物は好きではない" means "I don't like this food," but "この食べ物は食べたいことはない" means "I don't want to eat this food."
Watch out
The pattern "ない" is used to express a general negative, whereas "たくない" is used to express a specific reluctance or unwillingness to do something.
The pattern "たくないです" is used to express a desire not to do something in the first person, whereas "たがらない" is used to express a desire not to do something in the third person.
The pattern "たくない" is used to express a specific reluctance or unwillingness to do something, whereas "ない" is used to express a general negative.
Strategy
When taking the JLPT, be careful not to confuse "たくない" with "ない" or "たくないです" with "たがらない". Make sure to use the correct pattern to express the correct meaning.
In context
Worked examples drawn from JLPT N5 test-style questions. Each sentence shows 〜たくない used correctly, with a brief note on what the pattern is doing.
あしたはやすみです。どこにも行きたくないです。
Pattern used: 行きたくないです
〜たくない expresses 'don't want to.' The context (tomorrow is a day off, nowhere) suggests the speaker doesn't want to go anywhere. 行かない/行きません just means 'won't go' without expressing desire.
このくすりはまずいから、飲みたくないです。
Pattern used: 飲みたくないです
Because the medicine tastes bad (まずい), the speaker doesn't want to drink it. 〜たくない expresses this unwillingness. 飲みたい (want to drink) contradicts the reason.
きのうはさむかったから、外に出たくなかったです。
Pattern used: 出たくなかったです
きのう (yesterday) requires past tense. たくない → たくなかった (past). 出たくないです is present tense and doesn't match the past context.
Interactive
あしたはやすみです。どこにも______。
Adaptive practice
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