魚が好きです
sakana ga suki desu
To say "I like fish" in Japanese, you say 魚が好きです (sakana ga suki desu).
This phrase is used to express that you enjoy eating or are fond of fish. In Japanese, the subject "I" is often omitted from the sentence when it is clear from the context that you are speaking about yourself.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
You can make the statement more informal or blunt by replacing です with だ, resulting in 魚が好きだ. Additionally, if you choose to include the word for "I", using Boku wa is an informal option more commonly used by males.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the adjective 好き (suki) to express liking, rather than a verb as is done in English. The particle が (ga) marks the object of your liking, even though the English translation is rendered as "I like [object]".
How do you pronounce it?
sakana ga suki desu
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the word 好き (suki) is used to express both a preference for food and romantic love for a person.
- The character for 魚 is a pictograph that originally looked like a fish with scales and a tail. This visual heritage is still visible in the modern character's structure.
- While 魚 (sakana) means 'fish', it is frequently used to describe all seafood, including shellfish like shrimp and crabs, which are biologically crustaceans rather than fish.
Examples in context
- 魚が好きです。sakana ga suki desu.I like fish.
- 子供の頃から魚が好きです。kodomo no koro kara sakana ga suki desu.I have liked fish since I was a child.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their favorite foods at a restaurant.
- 大翔 Hiroto陽葵さんは、何が好きですか？Himarisan wa, nani ga suki desu ka?Himar, what do you like?
- 陽葵 Himari私は魚が好きです。Watashi wa sakana ga suki desu.I like fish.
- 大翔 Hirotoいいですね。僕も魚が好きです。Ii desu ne. Boku mo sakana ga suki desu.That's nice. I like fish too.
- 陽葵 Himari一緒に焼き魚を食べましょう。Issho ni yakizakana o tabemashou.Let's eat grilled fish together.
