Liking, being good at: が すき・じょうず
A は B が すき／きらい／じょうず／へた です
Person は thing が すき／きらい／じょうず／へた です. These are な-adjectives: が, never を.
In short
With すき (to like), きらい (to dislike), じょうず (to be good at) and へた (to be bad at), the object takes が, not を: わたしは ねこが すきです (I like cats).
- わたしは ねこが すきです。watashi wa neko ga suki desuI like cats.
- ともだちは りょうりが 上手です。tomodachi wa ryōri ga jōzu desuMy friend is a good cook.
- やさいが きらいです。yasai ga kirai desuI don't like vegetables.
The basics
すき (liked), きらい (disliked), じょうず (skilled) and へた (unskilled) are な-adjectives, not verbs. So the thing you like, or the area you're good at, takes が, not を: わたしは ねこが すきです (as for me, cats are liked).
- わたしは ねこが すきです。watashi wa neko ga suki desuI like cats.
- 田中さんは りょうりが じょうずです。tanaka-san wa ryōri ga jōzu desuMr Tanaka cooks well.
The four adjectives
They all work the same way: person は thing が adjective です. だいすき strengthens すき (to love), だいきらい strengthens きらい.
| Word | Meaning | Opposite |
|---|---|---|
| すき | to like | きらい (to dislike) |
| じょうず | to be good at | へた (to be bad at) |
| だいすき | to love | だいきらい (to hate) |
Liking to do something
To like an activity, you turn the verb into a noun with の or こと: 本を 読むのが すきです (I like reading). Here the verb is in the dictionary form, covered on the line about the plain form.
- えいがを 見るのが すきです。eiga o miru no ga suki desuI like watching films.
Modesty
You don't say you're じょうず yourself: it's boasting. You'd rather say とくい (it's my strong point). When someone compliments you (日本語が じょうずですね), the expected answer is modest: いいえ、まだまだです (no, I still have a long way to go).
Common mistakes
- Saying ねこを すきです: すき takes が.
- Conjugating すき like a verb (すきます): it's a な-adjective, すきです, すきじゃありません.
- Calling yourself じょうず: it's boasting, prefer とくい.
5 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N5 point is on the Shinjuku Line (The city) of the Tokyo subway.