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.

好き

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.

Example Sentences - (好き) suki

See below some example sentences:

温暖な気候が好きです。

Ondanna kikou ga suki desu

I like a hot climate.

I like the hot weather.

• 温暖な - warm, mild
• 気候 - weather
• が - subject particle
• 好き - like
• です - Verb to be/estar in the present

温いお茶が好きです。

Atatakai ocha ga suki desu

I like warm tea.

I like hot tea.

• 温い - mild, tepid
• お茶 - tea
• が - subject particle
• 好き - to like, to be pleasant
• です - Verb to be/estar in the present

濃いコーヒーが好きです。

Koi kōhī ga suki desu

I like strong coffee.

I like dark coffee.

• 濃い - strong, intense
• コーヒー - cafe
• が - subject particle
• 好き - like
• です - to be

火曜日は私の一番好きな曜日です。

Kayoubi wa watashi no ichiban suki na youbi desu

Tuesday is my favorite day of the week.

• 火曜日 - Tuesday in Japanese
• は - Japanese topic particle
• 私の - mine in Japanese
• 一番 - number one in Japanese
• 好きな - favorite in Japanese
• 曜日 - day of the week in Japanese
• です - being in Japanese

珍しいものが好きです。

Chinashii mono ga suki desu

I like rare things.

I like something unusual.

• 珍しい - Rare, uncommon
• もの - Thing
• が - Subject particle
• 好き - Like
• です - sentence-final particle

琴を弾くのが好きです。

Koto o hiku no ga suki desu

I like to play Koto.

I like to play Koto.

• 琴 - Japanese musical instrument similar to a zither
• を - direct object particle
• 弾く - play an instrument
• のが - particle indicating a nominal subordinate phrase
• 好き - liking something
• です - verb to be in the polite form

畑で野菜を育てるのが好きです。

Hatake de yasai wo sodateru no ga suki desu

I like to cultivate vegetables in the countryside.

• 畑 (hatake) - field
• で (de) - in
• 野菜 (yasai) - vegetables
• を (wo) - direct object
• 育てる (sodateru) - cultivate
• の (no) - Possession particle
• が (ga) - subject particle
• 好き (suki) - like
• です (desu) - Verb to be/estar in the present

真ん丸いお餅が好きです。

Manmarui omochi ga suki desu

I like round dumplings.

I like round rice cakes.

• 真ん丸い - Adjective that means "round" or "well-rounded".
• お餅 - Noun referring to a type of Japanese rice ball.
• が - Particle that indicates the subject of the sentence.
• 好き - Adjective that means "to like" or "to have a preference for".
• です - Auxiliary verb that indicates the polite form of speech.

眺めることは私の好きな趣味です。

Nagameru koto wa watashi no sukina shumi desu

Observing is one of my favorite hobbies.

Watching is my favorite hobby.

• 眺めること - means "to observe" or "to contemplate", it is a verb in the form of a noun.
• は - grammatical particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "眺めること" (observe/contemplate).
• 私の - 私 means "I" and "の" is a grammatical particle that indicates possession, so "私の" means "mine".
• 好きな - 好き means "to like" and "な" is a grammatical particle that indicates an adjective, so "好きな" means "tasty/pleasant".
• 趣味 - means "hobby" or "pastime", it is a noun.
• です - Verb "to be" in polite form.

短編小説を書くのが好きです。

Tanchen shōsetsu o kaku no ga suki desu

I like to write short stories.

I like to write short novels.

• 短編小説 - short story
• を - direct object particle
• 書く - write
• の - Noun particle
• が - subject particle
• 好き - like
• です - verb ser/ estar in the present polite