好き嫌い
sukikirai
The English phrase "likes and dislikes" is translated into Japanese as 好き嫌い (sukikirai).
好き嫌い refers to the things a person enjoys or finds unpleasant. It is frequently used to describe a person's food preferences or their picky eating habits.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of 好き (suki), meaning "like" and 嫌い (kirai), meaning "dislike".
How do you pronounce it?
sukikirai
Did you know?
- To describe someone who is extremely picky, Japanese people use the term 好き嫌いが激しい, which literally means their likes and dislikes are 'violent' or 'intense'.
- In Japanese schools, managing one's 好き嫌い is often seen as a matter of しつけ, or 'discipline'. Overcoming picky eating is considered a part of character building and proper upbringing.
- The word 好き (like) is grammatically an adjective in Japanese, not a verb, meaning it describes the object as being 'likable'.
Examples in context
- 本当に好き嫌いが激しいんだから。You have too many likes and dislikes.This sentence is useful for showing how to describe someone with intense 好き嫌い.Tatoeba #81528 by bunbuku, translation #322187 by CK
- Sushi ga suki desu (寿司が好きです)I like sushi.
- Eiga o miru no ga suki desu (映画を見るのが好きです)I like watching movies.
- Tomato ga kirai desu (トマトが嫌いです)I dislike tomatoes.
- 子供の頃から好き嫌いがあります。Kodomo no koro kara sukikirai ga arimasu.I have had likes and dislikes since I was a child.
- 彼の好き嫌いはとてもはっきりしています。Kare no sukikirai wa totemo hakkiri shite imasu.His likes and dislikes are very clear.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are deciding what to order for dinner.
- 健太 Kenta美咲さんは好き嫌いがあるの？Misaki-san wa sukikirai ga aru no?Do you have any likes and dislikes, Misaki?
- 美咲 Misakiうーん、ピーマンだけはダメかな。Ūn, pīman dake wa dame kana.Hmm, I just can't stand green peppers.
- 健太 Kentaいいよ、じゃあピーマン抜きで頼もう。Ii yo, jā pīman nuki de tanomō.That's fine, let's order it without green peppers.
- 美咲 Misakiありがとう、健太くんは優しいね。Arigatō, Kenta-kun wa yasashii ne.Thank you, Kenta, you're so kind.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
