What does it mean word for word?
The word for chicken meat, 鶏肉, is a combination of tori (bird/chicken) and niku (meat).
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between 鶏肉 (toriniku), which refers specifically to the meat and 鶏 (tori), which can refer to the living bird.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase Watashi wa toriniku ga suki desu is a formal way to say "I like chicken". For an informal or plain style, you can say Watashi wa toriniku ga suki or use the form 鶏肉が好きだ by replacing です with だ.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this sentence structure, the particle が (ga) is used as a subject marker to mark the object of one's liking. The particle は (wa) is used to mark the topic of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
toriniku ga suki desu
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the particle を (wo/o) to mark the object of your liking. Instead of saying 鶏を好きです, you should use the particle が.
When do people say it?
In a culinary context, when discussing chicken, Karaage refers specifically to Japanese-style fried chicken.
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific term for the 'crunch' of fried chicken called sakusaku. Using this onomatopoeia is a common way to express why someone likes karaage.
- In many Japanese restaurants, you might see the word 地鶏 (jidori) on the menu, which refers to a specific breed of local, free-range chicken highly prized for its flavor.
- When ordering chicken in a restaurant, you might hear the word yakitori. This combines yaki (grilled) and tori (bird), describing the cooking method and the meat simultaneously.
Examples in context
- 僕は鶏肉が好きです。I like chicken.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase 鶏肉が好きです.Tatoeba #709402 by Scott, translation #3651741 by furoraceltica
- 子供の頃から鶏肉が好きです。Kodomo no koro kara toriniku ga suki desu.I have liked chicken since I was a child.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are talking about their favorite foods.
- 結衣 Yui健太さんは何が好きですか？Kenta-san wa nani ga suki desu ka?What do you like, Kenta?
- 健太 Kenta私は鶏肉が好きです。Watashi wa toriniku ga suki desu.I like chicken.
- 結衣 Yui私も鶏肉が好きです！Watashi mo toriniku ga suki desu!I like chicken too!
- 健太 Kenta一緒ですね。Issho desu ne.We are the same.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
