Breakdown of watasi ha yasui hon wo erabitai to omoimasu.
はha
topic particle
本hon
book
私watasi
I
安いyasui
cheap
をwo
direct object particle
とto
quotative particle
思うomou
to think
〜たい〜tai
to want to
選ぶerabu
to choose
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Questions & Answers about watasi ha yasui hon wo erabitai to omoimasu.
Why is the particle は used after 私 instead of が?
The particle は marks the topic (“as for me”) rather than the grammatical subject. が would emphasize “me” as the subject of a verb, often to introduce new information or contrast. Here you’re simply stating your own thought/desire, so 私は is used to set “me” as the topic.
Why is 安い placed before 本 instead of in some other position or form (like 安く)?
In Japanese, adjectives that modify nouns (attributive adjectives) always come before the noun. For い-adjectives, the attributive form is identical to the dictionary form, so you say 安い本 (“cheap book”). You only change い → く (to 安く) when using the adjective adverbially to modify a verb (e.g. 安く買う, “buy cheaply”).
What does 選びたい mean and how is it formed?
選びたい is the desiderative (“want to …”) form of the verb 選ぶ (“to choose”). You take the verb’s stem in its ます-form (選び from 選びます) and add たい to express “want to do ….” Thus 選びたい means “(I) want to choose.”
What is the role of と思います in this sentence? Could I drop it?
～たいと思います literally means “I think I want to …,” which softens or hedges your desire. It makes the statement more tentative/polite. If you drop と思います, you can say 安い本を選びたいです, which is still polite but more direct: “I want to choose a cheap book.”
Why is the particle と needed before 思います?
と is the quotative particle used to mark quoted speech or thought contents. Whenever you express what you think, say, or feel using verbs like 思う, 言う, 聞く, etc., you place と after the quoted clause.
Is 私は necessary here? Can I omit it?
Japanese often drops the topic/subject if it’s clear from context. You can simply say 安い本を選びたいと思います and the listener will understand that the “I” (speaker) is the one doing the thinking and wanting.
What level of politeness/style is this sentence? Why is 思います in ます-form while 選びたい stays in plain form?
The sentence is polite because the final verb 思います uses the ます-form. The desiderative 選びたい stays in its plain form because ～たい is built on the verb’s plain stem; it doesn’t take ます itself. Politeness is carried by the terminal verb.
Why can’t we use ほしい instead of ～たい here?
ほしい expresses that you want a noun (e.g. 新しい本がほしい, “I want a new book”). To express that you want to perform an action (like choosing), Japanese uses the desiderative ～たい attached to verbs. Thus you need 選びたい, not 本がほしい.