This is where it gets personal — and personal is what sticks. Today you say what you like with one of the most-used patterns in the language: ___ が すきです.
Understand this — tap “Hear it”
watashi wa すし ga すき desu
I like sushi.
わたし watashi — Iは wa — (topic)すし sushi — sushiが ga — (subject)すき suki — likeです desu — is
neko ga すき desu
I like cats.
ねこ neko — catが ga — (subject)すき suki — likeです desu — is
koohii ga daisuki desu
I love coffee.
コーヒー koohii — coffeeが ga — (subject)だいすき daisuki — loveです desu — is
The pattern you can now use
___ が すきです
___ ga suki desu
I like ___.
すき literally means “liked / likeable,” so it behaves like an adjective and takes です — not a verb. The thing you like gets marked with が. Want to say you really love something? Swap すき for だいすき.
Words to use today — tap a row to hear
koohiikoohii
coffee
ochaocha
tea
ongakuongaku
music
eigaeiga
movies
inuinu
dogs
nihonnihon
Japan
すきsuki
like
daisukidaisuki
love
Your turn — say it, then check
Say: “I like dogs.”
inu ga すき desuinu ga suki desu
Say: “I like music.”
ongaku ga すき desuongaku ga suki desu
Say: “I love Japan.”
nihon ga daisuki desunihon ga daisuki desu
Quick check
Which particle marks the thing you like?
が
Why does すき take です, not a verb ending?
because すき acts like an adjective (“liked”), not a verb
⤷ Kana side-quest — ~2 min · tap to hear, watch the strokes
👀 Today’s input · ~5 min — where fluency actually comes from
Train your ears
You can’t read much yet — so listen. Put on one “Complete Beginner” video from Comprehensible Japanese: all visual, all Japanese, zero English. You’ll understand more than you’d expect, and this is where real fluency actually comes from — a little every day.