好き
The English phrase 'like' is translated into Japanese as 好き.
The word 好き is used to express that you like something or someone. In Japanese, the object that is liked is typically marked with the particle が rather than を. To convey the idea of growing to like something over time, you can use the phrase Suki ni narimasu.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term 好き is the informal version of Suki desu. For a basic and common way to express 'like' in a formal setting, use Suki desu. In casual speech, you might use the plain, assertive form 好きだ or use Suki da yo to add emphasis when expressing strong liking or love.
How does it change in a sentence?
Technically, 好き is a na-adjective rather than a verb. This means it is often used with the copula だ or です to form a complete sentence. To make the expression polite, you add です to the end of 好き to form 好きです.
Did you know?
- In Japanese romantic culture, 好き is frequently used as a soft way to confess love for the first time, as the word for 'love' 愛してる is often considered too heavy or intense for early stages.
- The word 好き can describe a person's preference for a specific type of thing, such as 酒好き for someone who 'likes sake' or is a 'heavy drinker'.
- When a person uses 好き in a very soft, trailing tone at the end of a sentence, it can function as an indirect way of asking for someone's affection without being too blunt.
Examples in context
- 彼が大好き！I really like him!This sentence is useful for expressing a strong liking for someone using 好き.Tatoeba #119670 by bunbuku, translation #283992 by CE
- 君が好きだ。I like you.Tatoeba #179014 by wat, translation #410751 by CK
- 音楽は好き？Do you like music?This sentence is useful for asking a question about a liking for music using 好き.Tatoeba #188279 by bunbuku, translation #386729 by Mouseneb
- 1790 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Yota are talking about hobbies at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yui陽太君は、何が好きなの？Youta-kun wa, nani ga suki nano?Yota, what do you like?
- 陽太 Yota僕は、料理を作るのが好きだよ。Boku wa, ryouri o tsukuru no ga suki da yo.I like cooking.
- 結衣 Yuiへえ、すごい！私も料理が好き。Hee, sugoi! Watashi mo ryouri ga suki.Wow, amazing! I like cooking too.
- 陽太 Yotaじゃあ、今度一緒に作ろうよ。Jaa, kondo issho ni tsukurou yo.Then, let's cook together sometime.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
