I (don't) like/dislike/want A
です is used for the positive form. Negative forms use じゃないです, while ほしい changes to ほしくないです.
9
動物が大好きです。
I love animals.
3
アイスクリームが好きです。
I like ice cream.
4
船が嫌いです。
I dislike boats.
11
月曜日が大嫌いです。
I (really) hate Mondays.
4
牛肉が好きじゃないです。
I don't like beef.
1
バスが好きじゃないです。
I don't like the bus.
1
学校が好きじゃないです。
I don't like school.
7
犬が欲しいです。
I want a dog.
1
サングラスが欲しくないです。
I don't want sunglasses.
Getting the sentences
List
すき きらい ほしい
Here are a few somewhat special adjectives for you.
In English, ‘like,’ ‘dislike’ and ‘want’ are all verbs. However, in Japanese, they’re adjectives. すき and きらい are both な-adjectives, and ほしい is an い-adjective.
You can think about this as “A is liked” or “B is wanted.”
わたし は うま が すき です。
Let’s take a look at this sentence. This means “I like horses.”
Let’s take a look at this sentence. This means “I like horses.”
We have a new particle here, が, which can also be used to show a subject. You will learn more about the differences between は and が later.
For now, just know that は tells us the topic, or main subject, of the sentence (わたし, I), and が shows a secondary subject; in this case, what is liked.
You can also omit the main subject entirely, especially if you’re talking about yourself, or if the subject is understood from the conversation.
リンゴ が すき です。
えいが が きらい です。
みず が ほしい です。
Here's another example: I like apples.
Here's another example: I like apples.
You can swap すき out with きらい (dislike) like this: I dislike (don't like) movies.
And ほしい can be used for things you want: I want water.
だいすき だいきらい
If you want to show stronger feelings (love or hate), you can add the prefix だい to either すき or きらい.
If you want to show stronger feelings (love or hate), you can add the prefix だい to either すき or きらい.
So だいすき would be love.
And だいきらい would be hate.
カオ が だいすき です。
Be careful when you’re talking about people though: just like in English, saying you ‘really like’ someone can indicate you have a romantic interest in them!

Be careful when you’re talking about people though: just like in English, saying you ‘really like’ someone can indicate you have a romantic interest in them!

コーヒー が すきじゃないきらいじゃないほしくない です。
What if you DON’T like/dislike/want something? You can make these adjectives negative just like the others we learned previously.
What if you DON’T like/dislike/want something? You can make these adjectives negative just like the others we learned previously.
So this would be: I don't like coffee.
And this would be: I don't hate coffee. (But it sounds like you don't really like it, either!)
And this would be: I don't want coffee.
Just remember that が follows the thing you like/hate/want, and すき/きらい/ほしい comes at the end!
Just remember that が follows the thing you like/hate/want, and すき/きらい/ほしい comes at the end!
Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
Basic Examples:
犬が好きです (I like dogs)
トマトが嫌いです (I hate tomatoes)
本が欲しいです (I want a book)
ピンクが好きじゃないです (I don't like pink)
野球が嫌いじゃないです (I don't dislike baseball)
コーヒーが欲しくないです (I don't want coffee)
Where this grammar is found
Grammar usage notes
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Questions/Discussion
すき and きらい can be changed to だいすき and だいきらい to say you really like or hate something, but can ほしい be used in the same way? (だいほしい)
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