How to Say “I Like” and “I Don’t Like” in Japanese | Using Suki（すき）and Kirai（きらい）

Introduction

Want to say “I like sushi” or “I don’t like vegetables” in Japanese?

In this article, we’ll learn how to express likes and dislikes using two essential words:
好き（すき） = like and きらい = dislike.

They may look like verbs at first, but they’re actually な-adjectives, and that means they follow special grammar rules. Don’t worry — we’ll break it down step by step.

1. Basic Pattern: Noun が 好きです / きらいです

The most natural way to say you like or dislike something is:

• [Noun] が 好きです = I like [noun]
• [Noun] が きらいです = I dislike [noun]

Examples:

2. Important Grammar Notes

Use が, Not を

Many learners mistakenly use を, but 好き／きらい always use the が-particle to mark the object.

✅ Correct: 猫が好きです。
❌ Wrong: 猫を好きです。

Treat 好き・きらい as な-adjectives

That means:

• To modify a noun: Add な
  • 好きな食べ物 = food I like
  • きらいな人 = person I dislike
• To negate: Use じゃないです / じゃありません
  • 猫が好きじゃないです = I don’t like cats
  • 野菜がきらいじゃありません = I don’t dislike vegetables

Use は in questions or contrast

When asking questions or comparing:

• 野菜は好きですか。
  → Do you like vegetables?
• 虫は好きじゃないです。
  → I don’t like insects.

📝 「Xは好きですか」 (X wa suki desu ka? – Do you like X?)

The particle は (wa) acts as a topic marker. It singles out a specific topic (in this case, “X”) that the speaker wants to talk about or ask about. When someone asks 「Xは好きですか」, they are usually bringing up “X” specifically (out of many other potential things like sake, coffee, fish, etc.) and asking for your opinion about that topic. This is why は (wa) is commonly used in this type of question.

(Note: While using が (ga) as in 「Xが好きですか」 (X ga suki desu ka) is also grammatically correct, using は (wa) clearly establishes “X” as the main subject being discussed in the question.)

3. Q&A Practice

Try answering these!

1. コーヒーは好きですか？
   → はい、好きです。／いいえ、好きじゃないです。
2. 肉は好きですか？
   → はい、好きです。／いいえ、きらいです。
3. 旅行（りょこう）は好きですか？
   → はい、大好きです。／いいえ、あまり好きじゃないです。

📝 You can also say:

• 大好き（だいすき） = love it
• あまり好きじゃない = don’t really like it

4. Making Sentences with People

You can use 好き and きらい for people, too!

• 田中さんが好きです。 = I like Mr./Ms. Tanaka.
• あの人がきらいです。 = I dislike that person.

💡 Be careful with using this about people — it can sound very direct!

5. Real-Life Examples

6. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

7. Conclusion

Now you can express what you like and dislike in Japanese!

✅ Use 好き（すき）and きらい
✅ Use が instead of を
✅ Treat them as な-adjectives
✅ Practice with questions and real-life sentences

🎯 Try answering these:

• What food do you like?
• What movie do you dislike?
• What’s something you love?