I was told that is ok to use
何でもないが欲しいです。
in an informal setting for "I don't want anything."
Is this correct? And what is an expression I can use in a formal situation?
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If the scenario were saying "I don't want anything" in response to someone offering you something (food, drink, etc.), you could also use
（私は）[結構]{けっ・こう}です。 → I'm fine/all right.
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3If you are looking for the most common phrase in these situations, I would have to say that this was the MOST common of all phrases I heard while I was in Japan, like, maybe twice as much as all others combined! Usually preceded by いや or something similar. May 12 '17 at 0:28
何でもないが欲しいです would mean 'It's nothing, but I want it.' Honestly it makes very little sense. You seem to have taken 何でもない as a noun, but really it's a full phrase meaning 'It's nothing.' To say you don't want anything, I think 何も欲しくない would work (though I'm probably wrong). It would be a little more natural to say 何も要らない 'I don't need anything', though, I think. Formally you could say 何も要らないです or 何も要りません.
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I think 何でもしくない would be better for saying "I don't want anything". However, as in English, there's a difference between 欲しくない and 要らない: the same as between "I don't want" and I don't "need". 何でもしくない sound more like "I no longer have desire for anything", while 何も要らない just sounds like "I'm okay". May 11 '17 at 12:45
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i was thinking i'd phrase it as ほしいものはない. i'd be interested on feedback on this.– A.EllettMay 11 '17 at 13:03
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@A.Ellett I think it's more neutral than 何でもしくない, since 何でも sounds quite impulsive. IMO however, it would be more used as a question ( ほしいものは? -ない), or in an indirect speech (ほしいものはないと言ってる), but it feels too generic to be used for taking about oneself. This is however just how it feels to me, maybe someone could confirm. May 11 '17 at 13:13
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2"I don't need/want anything"の意味で「何でも欲しくない」とは言いませんね・・「何も欲しくない」とか「何も要らない」でいいと思います– Chocolate ♦May 11 '17 at 14:33
In formal way: 申{もう}し訳{わけ}ありませんが何{なに}も欲{ほ}しくありません。 / 申{もう}し訳{わけ}ありませんが何{なに}も要{い}りません。
In informal way: 何{なに}も欲{ほ}しくない（よ）。 / 何{なに}も欲{ほ}しくないんだ。 / 何{なに}も要{い}らない（よ）。
Postscript
何も要らない is better than 何も欲しくない, which is written in Nothing at all's answer.
