“ki ni iru”: To Take a Liking To / Be Pleased With [JLPT N2]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
An idiom for developing a fondness for something
「このかばん、一目で気に入った」 — the kind of liking where you ‘click' at first sight
Out shopping, you see a bag: 「このかばん、一目で気に入った」 (this bag — I took to it at first sight) — 「気に入る」 is an idiom meaning to take a liking to, to fancy, to be pleased with: something suits one's taste perfectly. It literally is “(something) enters my heart,” with a feel slightly different from a plain 「好き.」 This guide covers its particle (が), its difference from 「好き・気になる,」 and warns of two easy errors: it's actually a godan verb, and its keigo version is 「お気に召す.」
Core: 気に入る = a liking that suits one's taste
「（noun）が気に入る」 = “to take a liking to, fancy, be pleased with,” the core being “suiting one's taste”:
- このデザインが気に入って、すぐ注文した (I liked this design and ordered it right away).
- 新しい部屋が気に入っている (I'm fond of my new room).
「気に入る」 literally is “(something) enters (my) heart,” extended to “take to, be satisfied with, click with.” The noun form 「お気に入り」 = a favorite (お気に入りのカフェ = my favorite café).
Feel: “take a liking to, fancy, be pleased with” — the core is “something suits me, I've taken to it,” with an active sense of “fancying,” slightly different from the passive state 「好き (like).」
Forms & attachment
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| noun ＋ が気に入る | take a liking to ～ | 色が気に入る （like the colour） |
| 〜が気に入っている | (state) be fond of | 部屋が気に入っている （be fond of the room） |
| お気に入り（の ＋ noun） | a favorite | お気に入りの店 |
| 気に入ってもらえる | (get someone to) like it | 気に入ってもらえた （they took a liking to it） |
Example sentences
- 一目で気に入って、その場で買ってしまった。(I took to it at first sight and bought it on the spot.)
- このカフェ、雰囲気が良くて、すっかりお気に入りになった。(This café has a nice atmosphere; it's become a total favorite.)
- プレゼント、気に入ってもらえてよかった。(I'm glad you liked the present.)
- 彼はこの提案を気に入らないようだ。(He doesn't seem pleased with this proposal.)
- 娘は新しい靴を気に入っている。(My daughter is fond of her new shoes.)
⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid
① The object takes the particle 「が,」 not 「を.」 The object of 「気に入る」 takes 「が」: ○ このかばんが気に入る (take a liking to this bag) / × このかばんを気に入る. Though the Chinese “like ‘something'” tempts 「を,」 the object of 「気に入る」 (dictionary form) is 「が.」 Mnemonic: (something) が気に入る. (Note: speech occasionally has 「を気に入る,」 but standard/exam usage is 「が.」)
② It's a ‘godan verb,' not an ichidan verb — don't mis-conjugate. This is the most insidious trap. 「気に入る」 ends in 「〜いる,」 looking just like an ichidan verb (like 「見る・起きる」), but it's actually a godan verb (from the same root as 「入る（はいる）」)! So it conjugates as godan: negative 「気に入らない」 (not 「気に入ない」), ます-form 「気に入ります」 (not 「気に入ます」), conditional 「気に入れば」, potential 「気に入れる.」 × 気に入ない (ichidan conjugation is wrong) → ○ 気に入らない (godan). This 「入る」 is godan — don't be fooled by the 「〜いる」 appearance. Remember: 気に入る = godan verb, negative is 「気に入らない.」
③ 「気に入る」 vs 「気になる」: take a liking vs be concerned (one kana apart, very different). These two look alike but mean completely different things — don't mix. 「気に入る」 = take a liking, be pleased with (suits one's taste, positive): この服が気に入った (took a liking to this outfit). 「気になる」 = be concerned about, mind, be curious (can't let go, want to know, not necessarily positive): 試験の結果が気になる (concerned about the exam result), あの人のことが気になる (mind/curious about that person), 変な音が気になる (that odd sound bothers me). One is “take to, be satisfied,” the other “weigh on the mind, be curious, can't let go.” Test: to say “take a liking to, be pleased with” use 気に入る; to say “be concerned, mind, curious” use 気になる. E.g. 「結果が気になる (concerned about the result)」 can't be 「結果が気に入る」 (that becomes “like the result,” wrong).
🔄 Compare: 気に入る／好き／気になる／気に入らない
| Form | Feel | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜が気に入る | take a liking to (suits taste, actively fancy) | デザインが気に入る （like the design） |
| 〜が好き | like (a state, broad) | 音楽が好き |
| 〜が気になる | be concerned about, mind, curious (can't let go) | 結果が気になる （the result is on my mind） |
| 〜が気に入らない | be displeased with, not to one's liking | 態度が気に入らない （don't like that attitude） |
💡 Learning tip
「気に入る」 = take a liking to, fancy, be pleased with (something suits me), a very common idiom for shopping, appraising, gift-giving. Three points: ① the object takes 「が」 (このかばんが気に入る, not を); ② it's a ‘godan verb' — don't be fooled by the 「〜いる」 look — the negative is 「気に入らない」 (not 「気に入ない」), ます-form 「気に入ります」; ③ separate it from 「気になる」 — 気に入る = take a liking (positive), 気になる = be concerned/curious (can't let go, one kana apart but completely different). Also, giving gifts or hosting, to courteously ask a customer if they like it, use the keigo 「お気に召す」 (お気に召しましたか = are you pleased with it?), more gracious and respectful than a plain 「気に入りましたか.」 The noun form 「お気に入り」 = a favorite, also very handy.
❓ FAQ
Q: 「気に入る」 and 「気になる」 are one kana apart — do they mean the same?
Completely different — the most easily confused pair. 「気に入る」 = take a liking, be pleased (suits taste, positive): it means something suits one's taste, clicks, has been taken to — a positive fondness: このデザインが気に入った (took a liking to this design), 彼女は新しい家をとても気に入っている (she's very fond of the new house). 「気になる」 = be concerned, mind, curious (can't let go): it means something weighs on you, you can't let go, want to know, are curious about — not necessarily positive, often even worry or bother: 試験の結果が気になる (concerned about the exam result — worry), 隣の物音が気になる (the sound next door bothers me — bother), 彼のことが気になる (mind him / curious or fond — ambiguous). Their cores are completely different: 「気に入る」 is “take a liking, be satisfied” (taste is met), 「気になる」 is “weigh on the mind, curious, can't let go” (the mind is held). Test: to say “take a liking to, fancy something” use 気に入る; to say “be concerned, mind, curious about something” use 気になる. E.g. 「この時計が気に入った (took a liking to this watch, want to buy)」 vs 「この時計が気になる (mind/curious about this watch, still eyeing it)」 differ — the former already likes it, the latter is only drawn to it, not yet “taken.” One kana apart (入る vs なる), one “like” one “weigh on the mind” — do keep them separate.
Q: 「気に入る」's conjugation seems odd — is it ichidan or godan?
It's a godan verb, a common error point. 「気に入る」 ends in 「〜いる,」 looking just like an ichidan verb (like 「見る（みる）」「起きる（おきる）」), so many mistakenly conjugate it as ichidan — which is wrong. The 「入る」 in 「気に入る」 is actually from the same root as 「入る（はいる）,」 a godan verb, so it conjugates as godan:
- Negative: 気に入らない (○) / 気に入ない (×, mistaking it for ichidan)
- ます-form: 気に入ります (○) / 気に入ます (×)
- Conditional: 気に入れば (○)
- Potential: 気に入れる (○)
- Volitional: 気に入ろう (○)
The commonest error is the negative: for “not to one's liking,” it's 「気に入らない」 (godan), not 「気に入ない」 (mistaken ichidan). E.g. 「彼はこの案を気に入らないようだ (he doesn't seem pleased with this plan).」 Reasoning: since 「入る（はいる）」 is itself a famous “exception godan verb” (ends in 〜いる yet is godan), 「気に入る」 follows suit as godan. Remember this idiom's conjugation: 気に入る → 気に入ら（ない）／気に入り（ます）／気に入れ（ば）, all godan — don't be fooled by the 「〜いる」 look into treating it as ichidan.
🖊️ Practice Questions (5)
Q1. 「このかばん___気に入って、すぐ買った。」(took a liking to this bag)
(A) が (B) で (C) に (D) を (in the dictionary form, が is the default)
Q2. What is the difference between 「気に入る」 and 「気になる」?
(A) 気に入る = to like (suits one's taste); 気になる = to be concerned/curious
(B) They are exactly the same
(C) 気に入る = to be concerned
(D) 気になる = to like
Q3. What does 「気に入ってもらえてうれしい」 mean?
(A) I'm glad (you) liked it
(B) The other person dislikes it
(C) I don't care
(D) Ordering the other person to like it
Q4. What does 「一目で気に入った」 mean?
(A) Liked it at first sight
(B) Disliked it at a glance
(C) Didn't see it
(D) Kept hesitating
Q5. Which usage is natural?
(A) この色が気に入った。 (B) 結果が気に入る (for being concerned, use 気になる)。
(C) 気に入るが好奇する。 (D) 気に入るだ高い。
Answer Explanations
1. (A) が ── かばんが気に入る.
2. (A) ── 気に入る to like; 気になる to be concerned/curious.
3. (A) ── Glad the other person liked it.
4. (A) ── Liked it at first sight.
5. (A) ── 「色が気に入った」 is correct; use 気になる for being concerned.