好きですか
suki desu ka
The Japanese phrase for "do you like" is 好きですか (suki desu ka).
While it translates to "do you like?", an alternative phrase Konomi wa arimasu ka? can also be used to mean "Do you have a preference for?" or "Do you like?"
How does it change in a sentence?
In Japanese, 好き is actually a na-adjective meaning "likable" or "fond of", rather than a verb like the English "to like".
How do you pronounce it?
suki desu ka
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to conjugate 好き as a verb by saying 好きしています. Instead, you should use it with the copula (desu/da).
Did you know?
- In romantic contexts, a confession of love known as kokuhaku often uses the phrase 好きです to officially start a relationship, making the phrase a formal social milestone.
- While 好き is used for general liking, the word 大好き ('big like') is used so frequently that it often translates to 'love' in English, as Japanese has several different words for 'love' depending on the intensity and relationship.
- To express an intense or obsessive like, Japanese uses the term オタク ('otaku'), which has evolved from 'someone with a hobby' to a specific type of deep liking for anime or games.
Examples in context
- 魚は好きですか。Do you like fish?This sentence is useful for asking if someone likes fish using 好きですか.Tatoeba #182104 by tommy__san, translation #19349 by CK
- 夏は好きですか。Do you like summer?This sentence is useful for asking if someone likes summer using 好きですか.Tatoeba #187202 by bunbuku, translation #24339 by CK
- 雪は好きですか。Do you like snow?This sentence is useful for asking if someone likes snow using 好きですか.Tatoeba #1088540 by bunbuku, translation #434606 by lukaszpp
- コーヒーが好きですか？Do you like coffee?
- はい、好きです。Yes, I do.
- アニメが好き？Do you like anime?
- うん、好き！Yeah, I do!
- ジャズが好き？Do you like jazz?
- 176 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiroto and Misaki are talking about hobbies at school.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲さんは、アニメが好きですか。Misaki-san wa, anime ga suki desu ka.Misaki, do you like anime?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、とても好きです。Hai, totemo suki desu.Yes, I like it very much.
- 大翔 Hirotoそうなんですね。どの作品が好きですか。Sō nan desu ne. Dono sakuhin ga suki desu ka.I see. Which series do you like?
- 美咲 Misaki最近の映画が一番好きです。Saikin no eiga ga ichiban suki desu.I like recent movies the most.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
