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:

私は郊外での散歩が好きです。

Watashi wa kōgai de no sanpo ga suki desu

I like to walk around the city.

I like to walk in the suburbs.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - topic particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 郊外 (kōgai) - Noun that means "suburb"
• で (de) - Particle that indicates the place where the action occurs
• の (no) - particle that indicates possession or relationship between words
• 散歩 (sanpo) - noun that means "walk"
• が (ga) - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 好き (suki) - The adjective that means "to like" is "gostoso" or "agradável."
• です (desu) - auxiliary verb that indicates the polite or formal form of the sentence

私は登山が大好きです。

Watashi wa tozan ga daisuki desu

I love to make trails.

I love climbing.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - topic particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 登山 (tozan) - noun that means "mountain climbing"
• が (ga) - subject particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 大好き (daisuki) - adjective that means "to like a lot"
• です (desu) - linking verb that indicates the formality of the sentence

私はアルバムを集めるのが好きです。

Watashi wa arubamu o atsumeru no ga suki desu

I like to collect albums.

I like to collect albums.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - topic particle that indicates the subject of the sentence, in this case "I"
• アルバム (arubamu) - noun meaning "album"
• を (wo) - direct object particle indicating the object of the action, in this case "album"
• 集める (atsumeru) - verb meaning "to collect"
• のが (noga) - particle indicating the function of a nominal subject, in this case "collect"
• 好き (suki) - adjective meaning "to like"
• です (desu) - auxiliary verb that indicates the polite and formal way of expressing a statement

私は余暇に読書をするのが好きです。

Watashi wa yoka ni dokusho wo suru no ga suki desu

I like to read during my free time.

I like to read my leisure.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - topic particle that indicates that the subject of the sentence is "I"
• 余暇 (yoka) - noun that means "free time"
• に (ni) - particle that indicates the time in which the action occurs, in this case "during free time"
• 読書 (dokusho) - noun that means "reading"
• を (wo) - particle that indicates the direct object of the sentence, in this case "reading"
• する (suru) - verb that means "to do"
• のが (noga) - particle that indicates the nominal subject function of the sentence, in this case "to read"
• 好き (suki) - adjective meaning "to like"
• です (desu) - auxiliary verb that indicates the polite and affirmative form of the sentence

私は大学で聴講することが好きです。

Watashi wa daigaku de chōkō suru koto ga suki desu

I like to attend university lectures.

I like to listen to college.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case "I"
• 大学 (daigaku) - noun meaning "university"
• で (de) - particle indicating the place where the action takes place, in this case "at the university"
• 聴講する (choukou suru) - compound verb meaning "to attend classes without being enrolled"
• こと (koto) - noun indicating action or event
• が (ga) - particle indicating the subject of the sentence, in this case "attending classes without being enrolled"
• 好き (suki) - The adjective that means "to like" is "gostoso" or "agradável."
• です (desu) - linking verb that indicates formality in the sentence

私はジーンズが好きです。

Watashi wa jiinzu ga suki desu

I like jeans.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "I"
• ジーンズ (jiinzu) - Word in Japanese that means "jeans"
• が (ga) - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence, in this case, "jeans"
• 好き (suki) - adjective meaning "to like"
• です (desu) - linking verb that indicates the polite form of the present, in this case, "I like"

私は学科の勉強が好きです。

Watashi wa gakka no benkyou ga suki desu

I like to study academic subjects.

I like to study at the department.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "I"
• 学科 (gakka) - academic discipline
• の (no) - particle indicating possession or relationship between two words, in this case, "of the academic discipline"
• 勉強 (benkyou) - noun that means "study" or "learning"
• が (ga) - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence, in this case, "study"
• 好き (suki) - Adjective meaning "to like" or "to appreciate".
• です (desu) - auxiliary verb that indicates the polite or formal form of the sentence, in this case, "I like to study academic subjects"

私は星座を観察するのが好きです。

Watashi wa seiza wo kansatsu suru no ga suki desu

I like to observe the constellations.

I like to observe constellations.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "I"
• 星座 (seiza) - noun meaning "constellation"
• を (wo) - particle indicating the direct object of the sentence, in this case, "constellation"
• 観察する (kansatsu suru) - verb meaning "to observe"
• のが (noga) - particle indicating the function of a nominal subject, in this case, "observing constellations"
• 好き (suki) - adjective meaning "to like"
• です (desu) - linking verb indicating a polite statement

私は毎日通り過ぎる公園が大好きです。

Watashi wa mainichi toorisugiru kouen ga daisuki desu

I love the park that I pass every day.

I love the park that passes every day.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "I"
• 毎日 (mainichi) - adverb meaning "every day"
• 通り過ぎる (toorisugiru) - verb meaning "to pass by"
• 公園 (kouen) - noun that means "park"
• が (ga) - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence, in this case, "park"
• 大好き (daisuki) - adjective meaning "very loved"
• です (desu) - auxiliary verb that indicates the polite form of the sentence

私は演劇が大好きです。

Watashi wa engeki ga daisuki desu

I love theater.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "I"
• 演劇 (engeki) - noun that means "theater" or "drama"
• が (ga) - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence, in this case, "theater"
• 大好き (daisuki) - The adjective that means "to like a lot" or "to adore" is "adorável" in Portuguese, which translates to "adorable" in English.
• です (desu) - auxiliary verb that indicates the polite or formal form of the sentence