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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner

How do you say "What don't you want?" in Japanese?

欲しくないものは何ですか?

hoshikunai mono wa nan desu ka ?

Phrase Kanji

In Japanese, "What don't you want?" is 欲しくないものは何ですか? (hoshikunai mono wa nan desu ka ?).

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Pronunciation

欲しくないものは何ですか? is written using kanji. Romanised as hoshikunai mono wa nan desu ka ?, it sounds roughly like "hoh-shee-koo-nah-ee-moh-noh-wah-nah-n-deh-soo-kah" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Hoshikunai (欲しくない) is the negative form of hoshii, created by dropping the final i and adding kunai. This is practical for avoiding unwanted gifts.

Example sentence

「何が欲しくないですか?」は好みを確かめるのに使います。

'Nani ga hoshikunai desu ka?' wa konomi wo tashikameru no ni tsukaimasu.

'What don't you want?' is used to confirm preferences.

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How to remember 欲しくないものは何ですか?

Drop the i and add kunai to negate hoshii. The negative form preserves the core meaning while flipping its sign.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese phrases.

Questions about 欲しくないものは何ですか?

How do you pronounce 欲しくないものは何ですか?

欲しくないものは何ですか? is romanised as hoshikunai mono wa nan desu ka ?. Say it roughly like "hoh-shee-koo-nah-ee-moh-noh-wah-nah-n-deh-soo-kah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 欲しくないものは何ですか formal or casual?

欲しくないものは何ですか? is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 欲しくないものは何ですか written in Japanese?

欲しくないものは何ですか? is written using kanji. Hoshikunai (欲しくない) is the negative form of hoshii, created by dropping the final i and adding kunai.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"What don't you want?" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

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