How to hope (ように, といい), how to wish for something contrary to fact (たらいいのに, ばいいのに), and how to say 'I should have' (ばよかった) and 'I wish I hadn't' (なければよかった).
About 5 minutes to read
Hoping: ように
Verb + ように at the end of a sentence is a prayer or good wish:
明日tomorrow晴れますclearようにmay it
I hope it's sunny tomorrow.
試験examに合格できますcan passようにmay I
May I pass the exam.
風邪coldを引かないcatch notようにtake care to not
Don't catch a cold. (Take care.)
The written wish ますように is what you see on a tanabata strip or a shrine wish plaque.
Hoping: といい
Plain form + といい (+な) = "I hope that...", "it would be nice if":
明日tomorrow晴れるclearといいhopeね
I hope it's sunny tomorrow.
彼heが来るcomeといいhopeな
I hope he comes.
Wanting someone to: てほしい
て-form + ほしい (or もらいたい) = "I want you to".
もう少しa bit more静かにquietlyしてdoほしいwant
I wish you'd be a bit quieter.
彼heに来てcomeほしいwant
I want him to come.
Contrary-to-fact wishes: たらいいのに / ばいいのに
たらいいのに / ばいいのに = "I wish that... (but it's not so)". The のに carries disappointment.
もっとお金moneyがあれwereばいいのにI wish
I wish I had more money.
明日tomorrowが休みholidayだったらif it wereいいのにI wish
I wish tomorrow were a day off.
彼heがもう少しa bit more優しけれkindばいいのにI wish
I wish he were a bit kinder.
Regret: ばよかった
ば-form + よかった = "I should have" (I didn't).
もっと勉強すれstudyばよかったshould have
I should have studied more.
行けgoばよかったshould have
I should have gone.
なければよかった = "I shouldn't have" (I did):
食べeatなければよかったshouldn't have
I shouldn't have eaten.
あんなこと言わsayなければよかったshouldn't have
I shouldn't have said that.
In casual speech: 〜ばよかった / 〜なきゃよかった / 〜ればよかったのに ("you should have").
Guessing a different past: たら
Past + ら also expresses speculation about a past that did not happen:
あのときtime行ったwentらifどうhowなってbecomeいたwould haveだろう
What would have happened if I'd gone then?
Exclamations of wish: たいなあ, ほしいなあ
なあ after a wish expresses longing:
日本Japanに行きgoたいなあI want to
Oh, I want to go to Japan.
車carが欲しいwantなあoh
I'd love a car.
Must-have wishes: ぜひ
ぜひ is an adverb that makes wishes and invitations stronger:
ぜひby all means来てcomeください
Please do come!
ぜひreally行きgoたい
I really want to go.
Longer sentences
Wishes and regrets are best read in emotional passages.
もっとmore早くearly病院にhospital行っていればif I had goneよかったのにit would have been goodと(quote)今になってnow後悔してもeven if I regretもうalready遅いlateあの時that time彼のhis忠告をadvice聞いておけばif I had heededこんなことにはthis sort of thingならなかったはずだwouldn't have happenedと(quote)思うとwhen I think悔しくてfrustratedたまらないcan't stand it
Even if I regret it now, saying I should have gone to the hospital earlier, it's too late. When I think that if only I'd listened to his advice then, this wouldn't have happened, I'm unbearably frustrated.
明日tomorrow天気にweatherなりますようにmay it become祈っているがI'm praying, but雨がrain降ったらif it falls運動会はsports day来週にnext weekなるそうだI hear it will be
I'm praying for good weather tomorrow, but I hear that if it rains, sports day will be moved to next week.
A letter of regret
今になってnow思えばthinking back若い頃にin my youthもっとmore色々なvarious国をcountries旅しておけばif only I had travelledよかったとit would've been good (quote)思うthink
もしもif by any chanceもう一度once more二十歳にtwenty戻れたらいいのにI wish I could returnと(quote)願わずにはwithout wishingいられないcan't help
Looking back now, I think I should have travelled to many more countries in my youth.
It is true I was busy with work, but in truth I simply lacked the courage to take that first step.
If only I could go back to being twenty once more, I can't help wishing.
Key points
ように / といい: hope. てほしい: want someone to.
たらいいのに / ばいいのに: "I wish" (contrary to fact).
ばよかった: "I should have". なければよかった: "I shouldn't have".
ぜひ: strengthens wishes and invitations.
Drill these patterns
Short example sentences for the points in this lesson: