80832
I always understood てほしい as "I want/need you to". How does it make sense in
this context where a kidnapper in a drama says:

> 姫を返してほしくば 城を明け渡せ

Per this translation: If I want you to return the princess, surrender the
castle.

Shouldnt てほしい also mean "You want/need me to" For the correct translation to
be: If you want me to return the princess, surrender the castle
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-26T19:01:38.857
80831
2020-09-28T09:07:45.593
39695
question
grammar
てほしくば - "If I want you" to or "If you want me to"?
I think it is "If you want me to return the princess, surrender the castle" as
you said.

「VVVてほしくば」=「VVVてほしければ」= "If [you (the listener)] wanted (someone/some people
who can control the action of VVV) to VVV" where VVVて is an action.
「ほしくば」sounds old, overly elegant, or demanding while 「ほしければ」is more
contemporary, less elegant, and less demanding.

i.e

食(た)べてほしければ = If [you] wanted (person/people in control) to eat

止(や)めてほしければ = If [you] wanted (person/people in control) to stop

辞(や)めてほしければ = If [you] wanted (person/people in control) to resign

解放(かいほう)してほしければ = If [you] wanted (person/people in control) to release (some
people)

連(つ)れて行(い)ってほしければ = If [you] wanted (person/people in control) to take (some
people) (somewhere)

I am just answering from my language experience (Japanese is my first
language) and I am not a scholar. I hope I helped a little bit.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-26T21:16:30.507
80832
2020-09-28T09:07:45.593
2020-09-28T09:07:45.593
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answer