Japanese · Beginner (A1) · Chapter 10 of 12
Likes and dislikes
好きなもの、嫌いなものSuki na mono, kirai na mono
Say what you like and don't like in Japanese with 好き, 嫌い and 苦手, contrast things with は, and put verbs, nouns and adjectives in the negative.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Say what you like, love and don't like
- Say you don't like something politely
- Contrast two things with は (wa) and が (ga), “but”
- Make verbs, nouns and adjectives negative
Listen
Colleagues Matsumoto Rie and Kimura Sho talk about food over lunch near their office in Tokyo. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Kimura
松本さんはラーメンが好きですか？
Matsumoto-san wa rāmen ga suki desu ka?
Do you like ramen, Ms Matsumoto?
Matsumoto
はい、好きですが、辛いラーメンは苦手です。
Hai, suki desu ga, karai rāmen wa nigate desu.
Yes, I do, but I'm not keen on spicy ramen.
Kimura
そうですか。私は辛い料理が大好きです。
Sō desu ka. Watashi wa karai ryōri ga daisuki desu.
Really? I love spicy food.
Matsumoto
納豆はどうですか？
Nattō wa dō desu ka?
What about natto?
Kimura
納豆は…あまり好きじゃないです。
Nattō wa… amari suki ja nai desu.
Natto… I don't like it very much.
Matsumoto
私は大好きです。毎朝食べます。
Watashi wa daisuki desu. Maiasa tabemasu.
I love it. I eat it every morning.
Kimura
肉は好きですか？
Niku wa suki desu ka?
Do you like meat?
Matsumoto
いいえ、肉は全然食べません。魚と野菜が好きです。
Iie, niku wa zenzen tabemasen. Sakana to yasai ga suki desu.
No, I don't eat meat at all. I like fish and vegetables.
Kimura
甘いものは？
Amai mono wa?
And sweet things?
Matsumoto
甘いものも大好きです。
Amai mono mo daisuki desu.
I love sweet things too.
Understand
I like: ～が好きです
(suki) is a な-adjective meaning “liked”. The thing you like takes (ga), not (o): (rāmen ga suki desu), I like ramen. In questions and when you compare, は (wa) often takes its place: (niku wa suki desu ka?), do you like meat? Before a noun, (suki) takes (na): (suki na ryōri), my favourite food.
(kirai), “disliked”, works the same way, but it's strong. Don't use it about people, or about food someone offers you. (nigate desu), “I'm not keen on it”, or (amari suki ja nai desu), “I don't like it very much”, are softer.
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (daisuki desu) | I love it. |
| (suki desu) | I like it. |
| (amari suki ja nai desu) | I don't like it very much. |
| (nigate desu) | I'm not keen on it. |
| (kirai desu) | I don't like it; I hate it. |
は for contrast, and が for “but”
は (wa) can also contrast two things: (niku wa tabemasen ga, sakana wa tabemasu), I don't eat meat, but I do eat fish. That's why Ms Matsumoto says (karai rāmen wa nigate desu): spicy ramen, as opposed to ramen in general.
After (desu) or a verb and before a comma, (ga) means “but”: (suki desu ga), I like it, but … This is a different (ga) from the one that marks what you like; the place in the sentence tells you which one it is.
- 魚は好きですが、肉は苦手です。Sakana wa suki desu ga, niku wa nigate desu.I like fish, but I'm not keen on meat.
- 野菜は食べますが、肉は食べません。Yasai wa tabemasu ga, niku wa tabemasen.I eat vegetables, but I don't eat meat.
Saying no: all the negatives
Here are the negatives you know, side by side. Verbs change (masu) to (masen). Nouns and な-adjectives, including (suki), add (ja nai desu). い-adjectives change the last い to くない: (karakunai desu), it isn't spicy.
(zenzen), “(not) at all”, and (amari), “(not) very much”, go with a negative: (zenzen tabemasen), I don't eat it at all.
| Kind | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| verb | (tabemasu), I eat | (tabemasen), I don't eat |
| noun | (sakana desu), it's fish | (sakana ja nai desu), it isn't fish |
| な-adjective | (suki desu), I like it | (suki ja nai desu), I don't like it |
| い-adjective | (karai desu), it's spicy | (karakunai desu), it isn't spicy |
More in the grammar: The particles は and が · い-adjectives and な-adjectives
New words
- ラーメンrāmenramen (noodle soup)
- 好きsukiliked; I like · すき; a な-adjective: (suki na ryōri), my favourite food
- 辛いkaraispicy, hot · からい
- 苦手nigatenot keen on; not good at · にがて; softer than (kirai)
- 料理ryōrifood, dishes; cooking · りょうり
- 大好きdaisukireally like, love · だいすき
- 納豆nattōnatto (fermented soybeans) · なっとう; sticky and strong-smelling, often eaten on rice at breakfast
- あまりamari(not) very much · With a negative: (amari suki ja nai desu)
- 肉nikumeat · にく
- 全然zenzen(not) at all · ぜんぜん; with a negative: (zenzen tabemasen)
- 魚sakanafish · さかな
- 野菜yasaivegetables · やさい
- 甘いものamai monosweet things, sweets · あまいもの
- 嫌いkiraidisliked; I don't like · きらい; strong: avoid it about people or food someone offers you
Practise
1.How do you say “I like fish”?
2.Put the words in order: say you love spicy food.
Tap the words below in the right order.I love spicy food.
3.Match the Japanese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.A colleague offers you natto, which you don't like. What's the kindest answer?
5.Make this negative: (karai desu), it's spicy.
6.Put the words in order: say you don't eat meat at all.
Tap the words below in the right order.I don't eat meat at all.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
ラーメンが大好きです。
Rāmen ga daisuki desu.
I love ramen.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.