犬が好きです
inu ga suki desu
犬が好きです (inu ga suki desu) is the Japanese way to say "I like dogs".
This phrase is used to express a general fondness or preference for dogs.
Which one should you use?
While English uses a direct object to express what is liked, this Japanese construction uses the particle が (ga) to indicate the thing that is liked.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle が (ga) is used to mark the object of affection (dogs) in this construction. You can make the statement informal by replacing です (desu) with だ (da). To express the past tense, "I liked dogs," change です (desu) to でした (deshita).
How do you pronounce it?
inu ga suki desu
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the word 好き (suki) is technically an adjective, not a verb. This is why you use the particle が (ga) to mark the dog as the thing that possesses the quality of 'likability' relative to you.
- If you want to say you 'love' dogs instead of just 'like' them, you would replace 好き (suki) with 大好き (daisuki). The prefix だい (dai) literally means 'big', so you are saying you have a 'big like' for dogs.
- Japanese uses an onomatopoeic word for a dog's bark, ワンワン (wan-wan), which is the basis for the cute term ワンちゃん (wan-chan). This differs from the English 'woof' or 'bark'.
Examples in context
- 私は犬が好きです。I like dogs.This sentence is useful for learning how to say "I like dogs" using the form 犬が好きです.Tatoeba #162269 by tommy_san, translation #252245 by CK
- 実は、犬が好きです。jitsu wa, inu ga suki desu.Actually, I like dogs.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are talking about their favorite animals.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔さんは動物が好きですか？Hiroto-san wa doubutsu ga suki desu ka?Hiroto, do you like animals?
- 大翔 Hirotoはい、特に犬が好きです。Hai, tokuni inu ga suki desu.Yes, I especially like dogs.
- 美咲 Misakiいいですね！私も犬が好きです。Ii desu ne! Watashi mo inu ga suki desu.That's nice! I like dogs too.
- 大翔 Hiroto一緒に犬のカフェに行きましょう。Issho ni inu no kafe ni ikimashou.Let's go to a dog cafe together.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
