NeedHelp Understanding ~n desu ga.

[Fantt]

In Pimsleur I'm told to say ほしいんですが, for "I want." I may have put in an extraい though. Anyways, I understand that the んです makes it more polite or less direct, right? What's the が there for? Is it just part of the んです construction? On the About.com page, and on some other places I've looked they just say to use んです. When do we use が at the end of a sentence in a situation like this?

:?

Thanks!

:note: Study Study :note:

[Glenn]

Check out these threads.
http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10986&highlight=%26%2312398%3B%26%2312384%3B
http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6317&highlight=affirmation+suffix
http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9696&highlight=affirmation+suffix

Also, check out this page.
http://www.sf.airnet.ne.jp/~ts/japanese/emotion.html#noda

[Fantt]

Ok, but why the が at the end? That's the part that I don't understand... Is it there just for extra politeness, or is there some other reason? None of these other examples have that darned が.

[Glenn]

が means "but," so putting it at the end makes the sentence less direct, and more polite. これがほしいんです。 "I want this." これがほしいんですが。 "I want this, but..." It's similar to how we use it in English, but far more common in Japanese.

[Fantt]

Thank you very much! I feel better now. :D