Introduction
In this post, we will learn how to use the adjectives 好き(な) (suki na) and きらい(な) (kirai na) to express likes and dislikes in Japanese. These adjectives work like verbs in English and can help you talk about your preferences.
What It Means
好き(な) means “to like” or “to be fond of,” and きらい(な) means “to dislike” or “to be disgusted with.” These adjectives require a subject and an object. The subject is marked by “は (wa),” and the object of your affection or dislike is marked by が (ga).
When You Use It
Use 好き(な) and きらい(な) to express what you like or dislike. For example, if you like something, say 私はYが好きです (Watashi wa Y ga suki desu). If you dislike something, say 私はYがきらいです (Watashi wa Y ga kirai desu).
Examples
- 私はりんごが好きです。(Watashi wa ringo ga suki desu.)- I like apples.
- 彼はテニスがきらいです。(Kare wa tenisu ga kirai desu.)- He dislikes tennis.
More Examples with Emphasis on Likes and Dislikes
To express a strong preference, use 大好きです (dai suki desu) for “like very much” and 大きらいです (dai kirai desu) for “hate.”
- りくさんはコーヒーが大好きです。(Riku-san wa koohii ga daisuki desu.)- Riku loves coffee.
- マリアさんはなっとうが大きらいです。(Maria-san wa nattou ga ookirai desu.)- Maria hates natto (Japanese fermented soybeans).
More Example with Noun Modification
You can also use 好きな (sukina) and きらいな (kiraina) as modifiers of nouns. For example-
- これは私の好きな映画です。(Kore wa watashi no sukina eiga desu)- This is my favorite movie.
Note
- In expressions of romantic or familial affection, you can replace が with のことが (no koto ga). For example, りくさんはマリアさんのことが好きです (Riku-san wa Maria-san no koto ga suki desu)- Riku is in love with Maria. This sentence means the same as りくさんはマリアさんが好きです (Riku-san wa Maria-san ga suki desu) – Riku likes Maria.
- When contrasting two items, use は (wa) instead of が. For example, 私はコーヒーは好きですが、お茶はきらいです (Watashi wa koohii wa suki desu ga, ocha wa kirai desu)- I like coffee, but I don’t like tea.
- If you neither like nor dislike something, say- 好きでもきらいでもないです (Suki demo kirai demo nai desu)- I neither like nor dislike (it). お茶は好きでもきらいでもないです (Ocha wa Suki demo kirai demo nai desu) – I neither like nor dislike tea.
Conclusion
Using 好き(な) and きらい(な) helps you express your likes and dislikes clearly in Japanese.
