The construction をしてほしいものじゃ


> 若殿の遊び相手 **をしてほしいものじゃ** 。

The sentence is from an old folk tale.

Is the construction in bold suitable only for the folk tale style? It means "I
want you to be...", doesn't it?




> 「若殿{わかどの}の遊{あそ}び相手{あいて} **をしてほしいものじゃ** 。」
>
> Is the construction in bold suitable only for the folk tale style?

No. Only the sentence-ender 「じゃ」 has anything to do with stories. The rest of
the part in bold is just very normal.

[As discussed in this
Q&A](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/34193/sentence-
ending-%e3%81%98%e3%82%83%e3%82%88), 「じゃ」 is a common sentence-ending used by
older characters in stories. It is role language that means the same thing as
「だ」 in Standard Japanese.

> 「[Noun] + を + してほしい」

means:

> "I want you to do [Noun]"

When the noun denotes a position or role as in the sentence in question, it
means:

> "I want you to be/become a/the [Noun]"

「ものだ」 as discussed
[here](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/43083/the-meanings-
of-%e3%82%82%e3%81%ae%e3%81%a0), expresses an exclamatory declaration in this
context.

> "I really would like you/someone to be the young lord's playmate!"




> 「若殿{わかどの}の遊{あそ}び相手{あいて} **をしてほしいものじゃ** 。」
>
> Is the construction in bold suitable only for the folk tale style?

No. Only the sentence-ender 「じゃ」 has anything to do with stories. The rest of
the part in bold is just very normal.

[As discussed in this
Q&A](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/34193/sentence-
ending-%e3%81%98%e3%82%83%e3%82%88), 「じゃ」 is a common sentence-ending used by
older characters in stories. It is role language that means the same thing as
「だ」 in Standard Japanese.

> 「[Noun] + を + してほしい」

means:

> "I want you to do [Noun]"

When the noun denotes a position or role as in the sentence in question, it
means:

> "I want you to be/become a/the [Noun]"

「ものだ」 as discussed
[here](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/43083/the-meanings-
of-%e3%82%82%e3%81%ae%e3%81%a0), expresses an exclamatory declaration in this
context.

> "I really would like you/someone to be the young lord's playmate!"

