Grammar Info

N5 Lesson 4: 9/13

()Like, Fond of

Structure

Noun + + () +

Details

  • Part of Speech

    Noun

  • Word Type

    Adjectival Noun

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    Standard

About 好き

(), meaning 'to like', is one of the very common な-Adjectives in Japanese that is used in many different expressions. All な-Adjectives behave similarly to verbs, in that their form changes depending on what comes after them.

For (), it will be followed by when acting as an adjective, or one of either or the more polite です when acting as a noun. This distinction is made depending on whether it is linked to another noun, or is independent.

In the example with だ, () is expressing that the thing is 'likable' (assertion). However, in the example with , () is expressing 'likability' as a quality of the noun it is attached to.

Caution

() is considered quite a strong adjective in Japanese when it is directed towards people, so it may be interpreted as romantic interest. (だい)() is often translated as 'love'.

  • (だい)()
    I love you!

Examples

--:--

    ()

    Do you like (it)?

    うん、()

    Yeah, I like (it).

    ()きな(ひと)がいます

    Is there someone that you like?

    はい、山田(やまだ)さん()です

    Yes, I like Yamada-san.

    (わたし)(いえ)()です

    Do you like my house?

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        • Genki I 2nd Edition

          Page 134

        • みんなの日本語 I

          Page 62 [CH 9]

        • [DBJG] A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar

          Page 426

        • Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Guide

          Page 39

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      好き – Grammar Discussion

      Most Recent Replies (5 in total)

      • BunLess78

        BunLess78

        Am I understanding this correctly?

        Suki Na Hito - Any person that I like, but with caution that it may sound romantic
        Suki No Hito - My favorite person (literally ,of all the Hitos, this 1 Hito is my favorite)

        The nuance is lost on me as a non polygamic person. I guess I’ll reserve Suki No Hito when talking about the Pope and Obama, and even then, they’ll have to battle for me

      • mietolim

        mietolim

        Why is it うん、好きだ if the structure presented is noun + が + 好き, why is there no が in the practice sentence?

      • IcyIceBear

        IcyIceBear

        Welcome to the community

        It’s like saying
        “Do you like apples?” りんごが好きですか
        “Yeah I like apples.” うん、りんごが好きです

        Vs

        “Do you like apples?” りんごが好きですか
        “Yeah I like em” うん、好きです

        You’re just omitting what it is you like, so the nounが isn’t used in that response.

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