Want to ask a favor with 〜たい＋ことがある

Grammar Explanation: Want to say or do something with 〜たい＋ことがある

Grizzy is deep into his winter hibernation when his phone starts ringing. He answers, knowing only Polar Bear would be calling him during hibernation.

シロクマ:: 「グリズリーくんに頼(たの)みたいことがあるんだけど」; “Grizzly, I want a favor from you.”; Literal: “Grizzly-kun, there is a thing I want to ask you, but...”; 「まだねてるの？」; “Are you still sleeping?”
グリズリー:: 「今(いま)　何月(なんがつ)だよ？」; “What month is it now?”

Key Points

1頼(たの)みたいことがある = “there’s a favor I want to ask”

頼(たの)みたい is the 〜たい form of 頼(たの)む, “to ask/request”.
It modifies こと, so the phrase literally says there is a thing Polar Bear wants to ask.

2グリズリーくんに marks who the request is for

Here に points to Grizzly as the person Polar Bear wants to ask.

3こと keeps the favor unnamed for the moment

Polar Bear does not state the favor yet; こと packages it as “something”.

4んだけど softens the request and leaves it open

んだ adds an explanatory feel: Polar Bear is calling because he has this favor.
けど trails off, making the request less direct and inviting Grizzly to respond.

5まだねてるの uses casual spoken grammar

ねてる is the casual contraction of 寝(ね)ている, “be sleeping”.

君(くん) is an honorific suffix used after names, typically for boys or men. It’s commonly used by teachers addressing male students, by friends among young people, or by superiors addressing junior colleagues, and can also be used for girls in childhood or casual contexts.

Vocabulary

何月 (What month)

何月(なんがつ) means what month. It asks which month in the year something belongs to.