Which one should you use?
While アートが大好きです is the standard way to say 'I love art', you can change the intensity and the tone by switching terms. Using アートが好きです expresses a lighter feeling of 'I like art' compared to the intensity of 'love'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of formality can be adjusted through word choice and sentence endings. Using the native word 芸術 instead of the loanword アート makes the expression sound more formal or academic. To move from a polite to an informal register, you can replace the polite ending です with the informal だ, as seen in アートが大好きだ. In very casual settings, you might use 芸術が大好き！ or the even shorter 芸術好き！ to say 'I like art'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In these expressions, the particle が is used to mark 'art' as the object of one's affection.
How do you pronounce it?
āto ga daisuki desu
Did you know?
- While English speakers often say 'I love art', using the Japanese word 愛している (ai shite iru) to mean 'love' in this context would sound unnervingly intense, almost like a dramatic confession of romantic passion.
- The term 大好き (daisuki) uses the kanji for 'big' and 'like', essentially saying 'big like' to reach the intensity of the English word 'love'.
- Japanese speakers often omit the subject 'I' (私は) in this phrase. Including it can actually make the sentence sound unnaturally emphatic or self-centered to a native speaker.
Examples in context
- 芸術を愛しています。特に絵画に魅了されます。I love art. I am particularly fascinated by paintings.
- アートが大好きです。Āto ga daisuki desu.I love art.
- 子供の頃から、アートが大好きです。Kodomo no koro kara, āto ga daisuki desu.I have loved art since I was a child.
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are talking about their hobbies at a cafe.
- 美咲 Misaki健太さんは、趣味は何ですか？Kenta-san wa, shumi wa nan desu ka?Kenta, what is your hobby?
- 健太 Kenta僕は写真を撮ることですが、美咲さんは？Boku wa shashin o toru koto desu ga, Misaki-san wa?Mine is taking photos, but how about you, Misaki?
- 美咲 Misaki私は、アートが大好きです。Watashi wa, āto ga daisuki desu.I love art.
- 健太 Kentaそれは素敵な趣味ですね。Sore wa suteki na shumi desu ne.That is a wonderful hobby.
