Japanese: Likes & Dislikes Vocabulary and Grammar

kaimono (かいもの)

shopping

tabemono (たべもの)

food

doubutsu (どうぶつ)

animal

kankou (かんこう)

sightseeing

ryokou (りょこう)

travel/trip

shukudai (しゅくだい)

homework

shigoto (しごと)

work/job

sakana (さかな)

fish

toriniku (とりにく) vs. chikin (ちきん)

Toriniku is traditional chicken meat; chikin is used for fast food.

gyuuniku (ぎゅうにく) / bifu (びふ)

beef

nihongo (にほんご)

Japanese (language)

jaa (じゃあ)

well then... / alright then... / in that case...

suki (すき)

like

kirai (きらい)

dislike / hate

daisuki (だいすき)

really like / like a lot

daikirai (だいきらい)

really dislike / really hate

oishii (おいしい) vs. oishikunai (おいしくない)

Oishii means "delicious"; oishikunai means "not delicious".

ga (が)

Subject marker particle; used after the item that is liked/disliked.

Why is "anata" (あなた) often avoided in Japanese?

It can sound rude or cold; names are used instead.

How do you say "I like cats" in Japanese?

Watashi wa neko ga suki desu (わたしはねこがすきです).

janai (じゃない)

Means "not" or "don't"; comes after nouns and な-adjectives.

How do you say "I don't like it" using a negative adjective?

Suki janai desu (すきじゃないです).

What is the function of "desu" (です)?

It adds politeness; removing it makes a sentence informal or abrupt.

ja arimasen (じゃありません) / deha arimasen (ではありません)

Formal versions of "janai" used in stiff or formal situations.

How does the particle "no" (の) function after an adjective?

It transforms into the "one" pronoun (e.g., "aka no" = the red one).

Topic + は (wa) + question/statement

Grammar pattern used to create mini-conversations beyond self-introductions.

How do you ask "What animals do you like?" in Japanese?

Doubutsu wa nani ga suki desu ka (どうぶつはなにがすきですか).

Why should you use "suki janai" instead of "kirai" when expressing dislike?

"Kirai" (dislike) and "daikirai" (hate) can sound too harsh.

How do you ask "How about sushi?" as a follow-up question?

O-sushi wa? (おすしは。)

saru (さる)

monkey