好き
suki
The Japanese word for "like" is 好き (suki).
好き is used to express affection or preference for an object, a person or an activity. In a romantic context, it is the standard way to say "I love you," as the more literal word for love can feel too heavy or formal. You can also use the structure ～するのが好きです to say you like doing a specific activity.
Which one should you use?
While 好き means "like," adding the kanji 大 (meaning "big") to the front creates 大好き, which expresses a much stronger level of liking or "love." To express that something is a favorite or a preferred choice, you can use お気に入りです. To express similarity rather than affection, use 似ている (to resemble) or 同様 (similar/same) or use 比べると to say "when compared to.".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai region, you may hear the phrase 好きやねん.
How does it change in a sentence?
好き is a na-adjective rather than a verb. Because of this, it is often preceded by the particle が (ga) to indicate the object you like. To express a negative preference, use the form 好きではありません to say you "don't like" something.
How do you pronounce it?
suki
Did you know?
- Because 好き is used for romantic confessions, saying 'I like you' to a stranger can be misinterpreted as a sudden, serious declaration of love.
- The written form of 好き first appeared in the Utsubo Monogatari, a narrative dating back to the late 900s.
- While English speakers say 'I like you', a Japanese speaker using 好き is actually saying 'You are likable' or 'The state of liking you exists', due to its grammatical structure as a na-adjective.
Examples in context
- 彼が大好き！I really like him!This sentence is useful for expressing strong affection for someone using 好き.Tatoeba #119670 by bunbuku, translation #283992 by CE
- 君が好きだ。I like you.This sentence demonstrates how to use 好き to express liking someone.Tatoeba #179014 by wat, translation #410751 by CK
- 音楽は好き？Do you like music?This sentence shows how to use 好き to ask about a preference for music.Tatoeba #188279 by bunbuku, translation #386729 by Mouseneb
- その映画は好きではありませんI don't like that movie
- 音楽を聴くのが好きですI like listening to music
- 1790 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about food at a cafe.
- 陽葵 Himari和食は好き？Washoku wa suki?Do you like Japanese food?
- 健太 Kentaうん、大好きだよ。Un, daisuki da yo.Yeah, I love it.
- 陽葵 Himariじゃあ、お寿司はどう？Jaa, osushi wa dou?Then, how about sushi?
- 健太 Kentaお寿司も好きだよ。Osushi mo suki da yo.I like sushi too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 好き, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
