JLPT N5 · Likes, wants and can · 30 of 60

Saying you like something: 好きです

～が好きです ~ ga suki desu Like something

好き is an adjective, not a verb, and the thing you like takes が: りんごが好きです, I like apples. In English, "like" is a verb.

Level: JLPT N5, beginner
Type: Likes, wants and can
English links: like + noun, plurals, do-questions, like + -ing

What it means

好き means "liked" or "pleasing". It is a な-adjective, not a verb. So りんごが好きです is close to "Apples are liked, for me". The thing you like takes が, not を. The person who likes it takes は.

For strong likes, say 大好き (love, really like). For the opposite, say 嫌い (dislike). 嫌い ends in い, but it is a な-adjective too. In real life, people often soften it to あまり好きではありません (I don't really like it).

Before a noun, 好き takes な: 好きな食べ物 (food you like, your favourite food). 好きな食べ物は何ですか is how you ask "What is your favourite food?", and it is a classic first-lesson question.

How to build it

Pattern	How it works
Person は + thing + が好きです person wa + thing + ga suki desu	The thing liked takes が, not を.
Thing + が好きではありません / 好きじゃないです thing + ga suki dewa arimasen / suki ja nai desu	Negative. あまり before it makes it softer.
Thing + が大好きです thing + ga daisuki desu	Love, really like.
好きな + noun suki na + noun	好きな色 (favourite colour).

Examples

私はりんごが好きです。 watashi wa ringo ga suki desu. I like apples.
学生たちはサッカーが大好きです。 gakuseitachi wa sakkaa ga daisuki desu. The students love soccer.
私は納豆があまり好きではありません。 watashi wa nattou ga amari suki dewa arimasen. I don't really like natto.
好きな食べ物は何ですか。 suki na tabemono wa nan desu ka. What is your favourite food?
先生は何の音楽が好きですか。 sensei wa nan no ongaku ga suki desu ka. What kind of music do you like? (asked to a teacher)

How English says it

"Like" is a verb in English. It takes "do" for questions and negatives: "Do you like apples?", "I don't like natto". The thing you like comes after the verb, with no particle.

For things in general, English uses the plural with countable nouns: "I like apples", "I like dogs". Uncountable things stay singular: "I like music".

English has a special word for 好きな: "favourite". "My favourite food is curry."

Why it can make English hard

Because 好きです is adjective + です, many students add "am": "I am like soccer".
Japanese has no plural here, so "I like apple" and "I like dog" are very common.
好きな + noun turns into "like" + noun: "my like food". The word "favourite" does not come to mind.

Mistakes you will hear

I am like soccer. I like soccer. 好きです feels like "be" + adjective. "Like" is a verb and needs no "am".
I like dog. I like dogs. General likes use the plural with countable nouns.
What is your like food? What is your favourite food? From 好きな食べ物. English uses "favourite".
I like play soccer. I like playing soccer. (or: I like to play soccer.) A verb after "like" needs "-ing" or "to".

In the classroom

Play "Find someone who": students walk around and ask "Do you like natto?" "Do you like cats?" The "Do you" question gets lots of practice fast.
Put a bag of plastic fruit or picture cards on the table. Students pick one and say "I like bananas" or "I don't like bananas". Correct the plural every time.
Ask "What is your favourite ...?" with a new category each lesson. Students soon stop saying "like food".

Practice

Try each one, then open it to check.

1. Fill the gap: 私は音楽＿好きです。 (I like music.)

Answer: が

The thing you like takes が, because 好き is an adjective, not a verb.
2. Translate: 犬が大好きです。

Answer: I love dogs.

大好き is "love" or "really like". General likes use the plural.
3. A student writes "I am like baseball." Fix it.

Answer: I like baseball.

"Like" is a verb. No "am".
4. Translate: 好きな色は何ですか。

Answer: What is your favourite colour?

好きな + noun is "favourite" + noun.