What does it mean word for word?
The word 食べ物 (tabemono) is a compound of taberu (to eat) and mono (thing), which literally means "eating thing".
How does it change in a sentence?
The basic phrase can be modified depending on the level of politeness or intensity. Adding desu to the end of 食べ物が好き creates the polite, complete sentence 食べ物が好きです. For an informal, declarative version, you can add da to create 食べ物が好きだ. To express a much stronger sense of "really liking" or "loving" something, you can replace suki with daisuki to say 食べ物が大好き. If you want to express that you loved food in the past, change suki to the past tense forms suki deshita (polite) or suki datta (informal).
How do you pronounce it?
tabemono ga suki
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the particle wo after 食べ物. English speakers often mistakenly say 食べ物を好き, but you should use the particle ga to indicate the object of liking.
When do people say it?
In Japan, it is customary to say いただきます before starting a meal to express gratitude for the food.
Did you know?
- While 大好き (daisuki) expresses a strong love for food, using the word 愛している (aishiteiru) for food would sound unnaturally intense and romantic to a native speaker.
- When talking about a love for food, Japanese speakers may use the term 食いしん坊 (kuishinbō) to describe a 'foodie'. Unlike the English word 'glutton', which can be negative, this term is often a cute or endearing personality trait.
- To express a love for the taste of food, Japanese speakers often use the word umai. While oishii is a standard word for 'delicious', umai is more visceral and is frequently used by men to show deep satisfaction.
Examples in context
- 私は日本料理が大好物です。I absolutely love Japanese cuisine.
- この寿司は私の大好きな食べ物です。This sushi is my favorite food.
- いただきます！美味しそうな食べ物、大好きです。Let's eat! I love delicious-looking food.
- 私は食べ物が好きです。Watashi wa tabemono ga suki desu.I love food.
- 彼は食べ物が好きなので、よく店を調べます。Kare wa tabemono ga suki na node, yoku mise o shirabemasu.Since he loves food, he often researches restaurants.
- 美味しい食べ物が好きなら、この店がおすすめだよ。Oishii tabemono ga suki nara, kono mise ga osusume da yo.If you love delicious food, I recommend this shop.
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are talking about their hobbies.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵は食べ物が好き？Himari wa tabemono ga suki?Himari, do you love food?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、大好き！Un, daisuki!Yes, I love it!
- 蓮 Renいい店を知っているよ。Ii mise o shitte iru yo.I know a good restaurant.
- 陽葵 Himariぜひ連れて行って！Zehi tsurete itte!Please take me there!
