Speakable Japanese

How to Say "I Like" & "I Dislike" in Japanese: Expressing Preferences (Suki / Kirai)

Hello! This is an exciting step in your Japanese journey. In previous lessons, you learned to describe the state of things. Today, we will take a very important step that will allow you to express what's in your heart.

You will learn to clearly talk about your preferences. Being able to do this will make your self-introduction more appealing and conversations with friends even more interesting!

🎯 Lesson Goal

Learn to clearly talk about what you like and dislike using the phrases 「〜が好きです」 (〜ga suki desu) and 「〜が嫌いです」 (〜ga kirai desu)!

Step 1 Discover

Let's look at how preferences are expressed in a real conversation between friends talking about their interests.

👨🏻
Kenji

私は日本のアニメが好きです。エマさんは？

(Watashi wa Nihon no anime ga suki desu. Ema-san wa?)

👱‍♀️
Emma

私はスポーツが大好きです。でも、魚が嫌いです。

(Watashi wa supo-tsu ga daisuki desu. Demo, sakana ga kirai desu.)

💡

Did you notice?

They use the particle「が」 (ga)right before saying they like or dislike something. It points exactly to the object of their feelings!

Step 2 The Pattern

Here is the most powerful and useful chunk for expressing your preferences.

Basic Chunk

私は が 好き / 嫌い です。

(Watashi wa ga suki / kirai desu.)

🔑 Key Point: The Particle 'が' (ga)

The role of the particle 'が' is to show 'what exactly' your feeling of 'like' or 'dislike' is directed at. It is natural in Japanese to say "私は寿司が好きです", not "私は寿司を好きです". The shortest path to fluency is to memorize "〇〇が好きです" as a set phrase.

🔥 Power Up: "Daisuki" (大好き)

If you don't just like something, but you absolutely LOVE it, you can add "dai" (big) to "suki" and say 大好き (daisuki)!

Step 3 Pattern Practice

Keep the chunk exactly the same, but swap the words in the blank. Read these out loud!

  • I like... Music (ongaku)

    私は 音楽 が好きです。

    (Watashi wa ongaku ga suki desu.)

  • I dislike... Cleaning (souji)

    兄は 掃除 が嫌いです。

    (Ani wa souji ga kirai desu.)

  • I love... Cats (neko)

    私は 猫 が大好きです。

    (Watashi wa neko ga daisuki desu.)

Step 4 Make It Yours!

Now it's your turn! Pick words from the Cheat Sheet below and complete your own sentences out loud.

👉 私は YOUR INFO が 好きです。

Vocabulary Cheat Sheet

Food & Drink

  • すし sushi (sushi)
  • ラーメン ra-men (ramen)
  • にく niku (meat)
  • コーヒー ko-hi- (coffee)

Hobbies & Interests

  • おんがく ongaku (music)
  • えいが eiga (movie)
  • スポーツ supo-tsu (sports)
  • りょこう ryokou (travel)

Bonus Go Beyond the Basics

In real life, you won't like everything! Sometimes you'll need to say "I don't like..." and speak casually with friends. Here’s a quick guide to leveling up your conversation!

🙅‍♀️ 1. I don't like... (Negative)

Basic / Formal

納豆が 好きではありません。

(Nattou ga suki dewa arimasen.)

Casual (Friends)

納豆が 好きじゃない。

(Nattou ga suki ja nai.)

🤝 2. Friendly & Casual

Just the word

寿司が好き。

("Sushi ga suki." - dropping "desu")

With friendly emphasis

寿司が好き だよ。

(Sushi ga suki da yo.)

Summary Lesson Review

Expressing Preferences: Use 〜が好きです (~ ga suki desu) for likes and 〜が嫌いです (~ ga kirai desu) for dislikes.

The Particle "が": The particle 「が」(ga) is used to point exactly to the object of your feelings, not 「を」(o).

I Love It: Add "dai" (big) to "suki" and say 大好き (daisuki) to express that you absolutely love something.

Practice Drill

1 / X Polite

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