好Verbs and descriptions
Likes and dislikes
“I like cats” is built differently in Japanese: as for me, cats are pleasing. That pattern, ~は~が, shows up everywhere.
The pattern
Person は, thing が, then 好きです
Who feels it
私はWatashi waAs for me…
What it's about
猫が好きです。Neko ga suki desu.…cats are liked.
Why が?
好き isn't a verb
好き is a な adjective, so it describes the thing liked, and that thing takes が. A common mistake is to say 猫を好きです because English “like” takes an object. The same goes for きらい (dislike), 上手 (good at) and 下手 (bad at).
In use
Likes and dislikes
I like sushi.
My younger sister hates bugs.
My father loves beer.
大 makes it “really like”, and 大きらい means “really hate”.
What's your favorite food?
Before a noun, it takes な, like any な adjective.
The bigger pattern
A は B が C
My older sister is good at cooking.
Skills use it too.
Rabbits have long ears.
So do parts of a whole: for elephants, the trunk is long.
I have a headache.
And feelings or sensations.
When it comes to fruit, I like apples.
Or a member of a category.
Inside a longer sentence
は turns into が
In a clause that describes a noun, the person also takes が: 私が好きな人 is “the person I like”. Words that take this pattern include 分かる, 出来る, ほしい, ~たい, こわい and うらやましい.
Your turn
が or を?
I like dogs.
Find the mistake
Tap the part that's wrong.
。
Check yourself
How does the speaker feel?
Say it yourself
Getting to know someone
A new coworker asks what kind of food you like and dislike. Tell them one of each.
Automatic feedback on your own answers is coming to Premium.