好き

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Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term

Grade: 4
kun'yomi
Alternative spellings
数奇 (rare)
数寄 (rare)

The (れん)(よう)(けい) (ren'yōkei, stem or continuative form) of the verb () (suku, to like, to be fond of, to enjoy, to feel love for).[1][2]

First cited to the late 900s in the 宇津保物語 (Utsubo Monogatari).[1]

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Adjective

() (suki-na (adnominal () (suki na), adverbial () (suki ni))

  1. liked, likable
    Antonym: 嫌い
    ()()(もの)は? アイスクリームです。
    Suki na tabemono wa? Aisu kurīmu desu.
    What's your favorite food? - It's ice cream.
    (きみ)()だからこそこれほど(がん)()っているんだよ。
    Kimi ga suki da kara koso kore hodo ganbatte iru n da yo.
    It's precisely because I like you that I'm working this hard.
    ()です。
    Suki desu.
    “I like you.” → idiomatically used to express: “I love you.”
    どうとも()にしなさい。
    Dō to mo suki ni shinasai.
    Feel free to do as you like.
Usage notes

Used as an adjective to describe the thing that is liked. Note that this is different from English, where the term like is used as a verb describing the action of having a fondness or preference for something. The verb from which this term is derived, however, () (suku), more closely resembles the verbal usage of like in English.

Inflection

Noun

() (suki

  1. fondness, favor, favour
    ()こそものの(じょう)()なれ
    Suki koso mono no jōzu nare
    Your fondness helps improve your skill. → Who likes not his business, his business doesn't like him.
Derived terms

Suffix

() (-zuki

  1. aficionado; enthusiast
    ゲーム()として()れている
    gēmu-zuki toshite shirareteiru
    known as a game enthusiast

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term

Grade: 4
kun'yomi

Adjective

() (yoki

  1. (Classical Japanese or literary) attributive of 好し

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 すき 【好・数奇・数寄】Paid subscription required”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here
  2. 2.0 2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN