何が好き？
nani ga suki?
To say "what do you like?" in Japanese, use 何が好き？ (nani ga suki?)
This phrase is used to ask someone about their general preferences or things they enjoy.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 何 (nani/what), が (ga/subject marker) and 好き (suki/like).
Which one should you use?
While 何が好き？ is the direct way to ask the question, 好きなものは？ is a casual way to ask "What are the things you like?"
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the question polite and suitable for strangers or superiors, add ですか to the end of the phrase to create 何が好きですか？ The default form 何が好き？ is informal.
How do you pronounce it?
nani ga suki?
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the word 好き (suki) is technically an adjective, not a verb. This means that when you say you 'like' something, you are grammatically saying that the thing 'is likable' to you.
- When asking 何が好き？, you might notice Japanese speakers omit the word 'you' (anata) entirely. In many contexts, including the subject in a question can actually make the sentence sound confrontational or unnaturally heavy.
- In Japanese culture, answering 何が好きですか？ with a very direct 'I like X' can sometimes feel too blunt. People often add 〜だと思います (I think…) to soften the preference.
Examples in context
- 食べ物は何が好き？Tabemono wa nani ga suki?What kind of food do you like?
- 音楽は何が好き？Ongaku wa nani ga suki?What kind of music do you like?
Example conversation
Kenta and Himari are chatting about their hobbies.
- 陽葵 Himari健太、何が好き？Kenta, nani ga suki?Kenta, what do you like?
- 健太 Kenta僕はゲームが好きだよ。Boku wa gēmu ga suki dayo.I like video games.
- 陽葵 Himariいいよね。私も好き！Ii yo ne. Watashi mo suki!Those are great. I like them too!
- 健太 Kenta陽葵は何のゲームが好き？Himari wa nan no gēmu ga suki?What kind of games do you like, Himari?
