好きだ・すきだ (like)

Japanese Grammar Basic Japanese ★★★★★ 5/5 neutral すきsuki
Reading すき
Romaji suki
Formation Person + は + Thing/Person + が + 好きだ/です
Kanji breakdown 好 (kō/su) = like, fond of

Meaning

A na-adjective that expresses liking or fondness for something or someone. The liked object is marked with が, and the person who likes is marked with は. It functions as an adjective describing a state of preference, not a verb.

Unlike English 'like' (a verb), 好きだ is a na-adjective, so it follows na-adjective grammar rules: 好きな本 (a book I like), 好きではない (don't like), 好きでした (liked). The thing liked takes が rather than を, because 好き describes a state of the object being liked rather than an action performed on it. However, in casual speech を is sometimes heard, especially with action-oriented objects like 泳ぐのが好き. Degree can be modified: 大好き (love), とても好き (like very much). In romantic contexts, 好きです directed at a person is a confession of love. The opposite is 嫌いだ (dislike).

Examples

  1. 私は音楽が好きです。 I like music.
  2. 妹はチョコレートが大好きだ。 My younger sister loves chocolate.
  3. どんな映画が好きですか。 What kind of movies do you like?

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: expressive

Do Say

  • 猫が好きです。
  • 料理をするのが好きだ。
  • 春が一番好きな季節です。
  • あなたのことが好きです。

Don't Say

  • 私は猫を好きです。(Using を instead of が — the liked thing takes が with 好きだ) → 私は猫が好きです。
  • 彼女は犬が好きだです。(Adding だ before です — 好き connects directly to です) → 彼女は犬が好きです。
  • 寿司を好く。(Using the verb 好く instead of 好きだ — 好く is archaic and not used in modern Japanese) → 寿司が好きだ。

Origin & History

From the noun 好き, derived from the verb 好く (to be fond of). The kanji 好 combines 女 (woman) and 子 (child), evoking the image of a mother's affection.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Related Phrases

ある (existence of inanimate things) Indicates that an inanimate object exists or is located somewhere. It is the counterpart of いる, which is used for animate beings. ある is one of the most fundamental verbs in Japanese and is essential for describing the presence or location of things. いる (existence of animate things) Indicates that an animate being — a person, animal, or other living creature — exists or is located somewhere. It is the animate counterpart of ある and is one of the first verbs learners must master for describing who or what is present. いる (progressive / ongoing state) Used after the て-form of a verb to indicate that an action is currently in progress or that a state resulting from a past action continues. This is the most common way to express the English present progressive ('is doing') in Japanese. する (causing a state or action) The verb する is used to indicate that someone or something causes a state or action to take place. It is the most basic and widely used verb in Japanese, functioning as 'to do' and forming the basis of hundreds of compound verbs with nouns. 分かる・わかる (understand) Expresses that something becomes clear, understandable, or known to someone spontaneously. The thing understood is marked with が, and the person who understands is marked with に or は. It describes a natural, involuntary process of comprehension. 知る・しる (come to know) Describes acquiring information or knowledge from an external source. The basic form 知る indicates the moment of learning something new, while the te-form 知っている expresses the resulting state of knowing. ある (resultant state) Used after the て-form of a transitive verb to indicate that something has been done and the resulting state remains. This pattern emphasises the current condition that resulted from a completed action, rather than the action itself. する (cost or duration) する is used to express how much something costs or how long something takes. The amount or duration is typically marked with が, and する indicates the price or time required. This is an idiomatic use distinct from the action-performing する.
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