好き
suki
In Japanese, the phrase to say someone likes something is 好き (suki).
The word 好き means to like or be fond of something. Grammatically, it functions as a na-adjective rather than a verb. It is a versatile term used to express a liking towards a noun or an activity.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing what someone likes, the object of the liking is marked with the particle が (ga) instead of the typical object particle を (wo). If you are using 好き to modify a noun directly, such as describing a 'liked thing', it takes the form 好きな (suki na).
How do you pronounce it?
suki
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the object particle を (wo) to mark the thing being liked. Instead, always use the particle が (ga) with 好き.
Did you know?
- While 好き is used for hobbies and food, telling a romantic partner 大好き (daisuki) can be a common way to say 'I love you' without using the more intense and rare word 愛してる (aishiteru).
- Japanese has a specific term 好き好んで (suki-konde) used to describe doing something 'of one's own free will', often used ironically when the result is something unpleasant.
- The modern adjective 好き actually originated as the stem form of a verb, which is why it functions differently than many other adjectives in Japanese.
Examples in context
- りんごが好きです。I like apples.
- お茶がお好きですか。Do you like tea?
- 音楽が大好きです。I really love music.
- アニメが好きだ。I like anime.
- ケーキが大好きだ。I really love cake.
- 食べるのが好きです。(I) like to eat.
- 映画がすごく好きです。I really like movies.
- 歌うのは好きです。I like singing.
- 歌うのが好きです。I like to sing.
- 猫が大好きです。Neko ga daisuki desu.I love cats.
- 彼は日本料理が好きです。Kare wa nihon ryouri ga suki desu.He likes Japanese food.
- この映画、好きですか？Kono eiga, suki desu ka?Do you like this movie?
Example conversation
A boy and a girl are talking about music in a cafe.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太くんは、どんな音楽が好き？Hinata-kun wa, donna ongaku ga suki?Hinata, what kind of music do you like?
- 陽太 Yotaジャズが好きだよ。Jazu ga suki da yo.I like jazz.
- 陽葵 Himari私もジャズは好きだよ！Watashi mo jazu wa suki da yo!I like jazz too!
- 陽太 Yota本当？嬉しいな。Hontou? Ureshii na.Really? I'm happy to hear that.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 好き, CC BY-SA 4.0.
