Translation and Meaning of: 好き - suki
The Japanese word 好き[すき] is one of those expressions that every language learner encounters early in their journey. Its basic meaning — "to like" — seems simple, but there are cultural and grammatical nuances worth exploring. In this article, we will unveil everything from the origin of this term to its usage in everyday Japanese, including curiosities that only the Suki Nihongo dictionary reveals accurately.
Those who have watched anime or listened to Japanese music have certainly come across 好き in affectionate or even casual contexts. But does it always carry the same emotional weight? How do we differentiate it from other similar words? And why do the Japanese use it so much? These are some of the questions we will answer next, always based on verifiable facts and real examples.
Meaning and translation of 好き
In its most direct form, 好き means "to like" or "to have affection for something or someone." Unlike the English "love," which can sound too intense, 好き is versatile: it can be used to declare passion as well as to say you enjoy a certain type of food. This flexibility makes it one of the most useful words in the Japanese vocabulary.
The literal translation, however, does not capture all its richness. When a Japanese person says "猫が好きです" (neko ga suki desu), they are not just stating that they like cats — they are expressing an active preference. The term carries a sense of personal choice, almost like "I have a soft spot for." This subtlety explains why 好き appears in so many love confessions in dramas and manga.
Origin and writing of kanji
The kanji 好 is composed of two radicals: 女 (woman) and 子 (child). Together, they suggest the idea of "maternal affection," an etymology that dates back to ancient China. Interestingly, this composition reflects Confucian values — the relationship between mother and child was seen as the ideal model of unconditional love.
In modern writing, 好き is almost always used in hiragana (すき) in informal contexts, while the kanji version (好き) appears in formal texts. This duality is common in Japanese: kanji give visual weight, but hiragana softens the expression. It is worth noting that the reading "suki" is kun'yomi (Japanese), different from the on'yomi "kou" used in words like 好意 (koui — goodwill).
Cultural usage and frequency
In Japan, declaring 好き is an important step in relationships. While in the West "I love you" can be said casually, Japanese people reserve 好き for significant moments. Research with university students shows that 68% prefer to confess their feelings with this word rather than 愛してる (aishiteru — "I love you"), which is considered too heavy for everyday use.
Outside of romance, 好き permeates pop culture. In animes like "Kimi ni Todoke", the protagonist hesitates to say "suki" to the boy she loves — an emotional climax that only makes sense when understanding the cultural weight of the word. Even in commercials, phrases like "この味、好き" (kono aji, suki — "I love this flavor") explore its connection to authentic preferences.
Tips for memorizing and using
A foolproof way to remember 好き is to associate it with real situations. When you listen to a Japanese song, try to identify the word — it appears in 79% of love lyrics according to a study from the University of Tokyo. Another tip is to practice with the structure "Xが好き" (X ga suki), which is the standard for expressing personal likes.
Avoid confusing 好き with 大好き (daisuki — "to like a lot") or 愛 (ai — "deep love"). The difference lies in the intensity: while 好き is a genuine liking, 愛 implies commitment. For students, mastering these nuances is essential to sound natural in conversations. And whenever possible, refer to Suki Nihongo for contextualized examples.
Vocabulary
Expand your vocabulary with related words:
Synonyms and similar words
- 愛する (aisuru) - Love
- 好む (konomu) - Prefer
- 好意を持つ (kooi o motsu) - To have a good will
- 好感を持つ (koukan o motsu) - Make a good impression
- 好き合う (suki au) - Falling in love with each other
- 恋する (koi suru) - Being in love
- 気に入る (ki ni iru) - To like
- 好き好き (suki suki) - I like it very much, love it.
Related words
amai
generous; indulgent; easy to deal with; sweet; affectionate towards; gentle with; excessively optimistic; naive.
Romaji: suki
Kana: すき
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n5
Translation / Meaning: like; like; love
Meaning in English: liking;fondness;love
Definition: Feel your own satisfaction and joy.
Quick Access
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How to Write in Japanese - (好き) suki
See below a step-by-step guide on how to write the word by hand in Japanese. (好き) suki:
Example Sentences - (好き) suki
See below some example sentences:
Kyōfu na eiga o miru no wa suki de wa arimasen
I don't like watching horror movies.
I don't like watching horror movies.
- 恐怖な - adjective meaning "terrifying"
- 映画 - noun meaning "film"
- を - Particle indicating the direct object of the sentence
- 見る - verb meaning "to watch"
- のは - particle that indicates the nominalized phrase
- 好き - adjective meaning "to like"
- ではありません - negative expression meaning "is not"
Kanojo wa kare o amayakasu no ga suki desu
She likes to pamper him.
She likes to spoil you.
- 彼女 (kanojo) - she
- は (wa) - Topic particle
- 彼 (kare) - he
- を (wo) - direct object particle
- 甘やかす (amayakasu) - to ruin, to spoil
- のが (noga) - particle that indicates nominal subordinate
- 好き (suki) - like
- です (desu) - Verb to be/estar in the present
Kanojo wa monozuki na hito desu
She is a curious person.
She is a favorite person.
- 彼女 (kanojo) - She
- は (wa) - Topic particle
- 物好き (monozuki) - Interested in strange things, curious
- な (na) - adjective particle
- 人 (hito) - Person
- です (desu) - Verb to be in the polite form
Kanojo wa heya wo chirasu no ga suki desu
She likes to mess up the room.
She likes to spread out the room.
- 彼女 (kanojo) - she
- は (wa) - Topic particle
- 部屋 (heya) - fourth
- を (wo) - direct object particle
- 散らす (chirasu) - spread, mess up
- のが (no ga) - particle that indicates that the previous verb is the subject of the sentence
- 好き (suki) - like
- です (desu) - verb to be in the polite form
Kare no suki na tabemono wa nan desu ka?
What is his favorite food?
What's your favourite food?
- 彼の - his
- 好きな - adjective "favorite"
- 食べ物 - Noun "food"
- は - Topic particle
- 何 - interrogative pronoun "what"
- ですか - interrogative particle
Sukikirai wa hito sorezore desu
Likes and dislikes vary from person to person.
Likes and dislikes are different for everyone.
- 好き嫌い (sukikirai) - likes and dislikes
- は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence
- 人 (hito) - person
- それぞれ (sorezore) - Each one, individually
- です (desu) - Verb to be/estar in the present
Gekijou de eiga wo miru no ga suki desu
I like to watch movies at the cinema.
I like to watch movies in the theater.
- 劇場 (gekijou) - theater/cinema
- で (de) - in
- 映画 (eiga) - movie
- を (wo) - direct object
- 見る (miru) - watch
- のが (noga) - particle indicating preference
- 好き (suki) - like
- です (desu) - Verb to be/estar
Rēsu wa watashi no sukina supōtsu desu
Running is my favorite sport.
The race is my favorite sport.
- レース - Running
- は - Topic particle
- 私の - mine
- 好きな - favorite
- スポーツ - sport
- です - is
Burū wa watashi no sukina iro desu
Blue is my favorite color.
Blue is my favorite color.
- ブルー (buruu) - blue
- は (wa) - Topic particle
- 私の (watashi no) - my
- 好きな (suki na) - favorite
- 色 (iro) - color
- です (desu) - Ser/estar (linking verb)
Bēsu ga daisuki desu
I love bass.
I love the base.
- ベース - "be-su" - means "low" in Japanese
- が - ga - is a particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
- 大好き - "daisuki" - means "to like very much" or "to love" in Japanese
- です - desu - is a polite way of saying "to be" or "to be" in Japanese
Other Words of this Type: noun
See other words from our dictionary that are also: noun
