The Japanese word for ‘like’ is 好き (suki). Just as in English, this word can be used for things or people.
For example ‘I like (something)’ would be said as ‘(something) ga suki desu’
To say you ‘do not like (something)’ you could use the Japanese word for hate, ‘kirai’ or the less strong version of ‘suki ja nai’
‘I do not like sushi’ would become ‘sushi ga suki ja nai’
An example of ‘like’ in a sentence
| Hiragana | Romaji | Literal | Translation |
| わたしは いちごが すきです。 | Watashi wa ichigo ga suki desu. | As for me, strawberries are liked. | I like strawberries. |
Questions
When asking a question about what someone likes,simply place the ‘ka’ or simplified Japanese question mark on the end of a sentence. For example ‘do you like Pizza?’ would become ‘Pizza ga suki desu ka?’ Or if asking about a subject, you need to ask about the subject and then add ‘nani’ or ‘what’ into the sentence.
| Hiragana | Romaji | Gloss | Translation | |
| Q | スポーツは なにが すきですか。 | Supootsu wa, nani ga suki desu ka? | As for sports, what is liked? | What sport do you like? |
| A | サッカーが すきです。 | Sakkaa ga suki desu. | Soccer is liked. | I like soccer. |
