Lesson 26: 好き・上手・ほしい

N5 · Lesson 26 · 18 min — Use が to say what you like or dislike, what you're good or bad at, and what you want

Last lesson you learned "often," "very" and "not very." This lesson is about preferences: what you like, what you're good at, and what you want. These three ideas share one trick: the thing before them takes が, not を! Let's start with the comic.

After this lesson, you can:

• Say what you like or dislike with Nが好すきです／嫌きらいです
• Say what someone is good or bad at with Nが上手じょうずです／下手へたです, and praise people politely
• Say what you want with Nがほしいです, plus "don't want" and "wanted (then)"

Takoyaki Class

Takoyaki class! Rin and Neko-sensei are going to make it themselves. (たこやき = takoyaki; 大好だいすき = love; すごい = amazing; 得意とくい = good at; 手て = hand)

Use が before 好すき, 得意とくい, 下手へた and ほしい. Neko-sensei flips takoyaki so well; supposedly he learned at his grandma's in Kyoto?

Likes, Skills and Wants

• 好すき (suki): like
• 大好だいすき (daisuki): love, like a lot
• 嫌きらい (kirai): dislike, hate
• 上手じょうず (jōzu): good at, skilled
• 下手へた (heta): bad at, poor at
• 得意とくい (tokui): strong point, good at (OK for yourself)
• 苦手にがて (nigate): not good at; can't handle
• ほしい (hoshii): want (+ noun)
• 歌うた (uta): song, singing
• 料理りょうり (ryōri): cooking, cuisine
• 絵え (e): picture, drawing
• スポーツ (supōtsu): sports
• 食たべ物もの (tabemono): food
• やさい (yasai): vegetables
• ピーマン (pīman): green pepper
• カメラ (kamera): camera
• おみやげ (omiyage): souvenir

Grammar 1 / 3: Like・Dislike

Thing you like + が + 好すきです: すしが 好すきです = I like sushi

• The thing takes が: 好すき is not a verb. It's a na-adjective, so the thing you like doesn't take the object particle を. Remember it as one block: 〜が 好すきです.
• Changes like 静しずか (quiet): 好すきじゃありません (don't like), 好すきでした (used to like), 好すきな 食たべ物もの (favorite food). 嫌きらい works the same way: 嫌きらいじゃありません.
• 嫌きらい is strong: 嫌きらいです is like English "I hate...". To sound softer, use あまり 好すきじゃありません (don't like it much) or 苦手にがてです.
• Asking about likes: なにが 好すきですか (What do you like?), どんな スポーツが 好すきですか (What kind of sport do you like?), 好すきな 食たべ物ものは なんですか (What's your favorite food?).

• わたしは ねこが 好すきです。 — I like cats.
• たこやきが 大好だいすきです！ — I love takoyaki!
• リンさんは スポーツが 好すきですか。 — Does Rin like sports?
• やさいが あまり 好すきじゃありません。 — I don't like vegetables much.
• ピーマンが 嫌きらいです。 — I dislike green peppers.
• 好すきな 食たべ物ものは なんですか。 — What's your favorite food?
• どんな 歌うたが 好すきですか。 — What kind of songs do you like?

Grammar 2 / 3: Good・Bad at

Skill + が + 上手じょうずです: 歌うたが 上手じょうずです = (Someone) sings well

• Same が pattern: 〜が 上手じょうずです, 〜が 下手へたです. It's the same pattern as 好すき, and it changes the same way: 上手じょうずじゃありません.
• 上手じょうず is for others: With friends and peers, praise with 上手じょうずですね. To a teacher or elder, 上手じょうず sounds like you're grading them, so say すごいですね (amazing) instead. 上手じょうずです about yourself is grammatical but sounds like showing off. For your own strong point, use 得意とくいです.
• 下手へた: only about yourself: Saying 下手へたです about yourself is natural and modest. Telling someone 下手へたですね to their face is hurtful. 苦手にがてです (not good at, can't handle) is gentler, and works both ways: スポーツが 苦手にがて (bad at sports), やさいが 苦手にがて (can't handle vegetables).
• How to reply to praise: Someone says 日本語にほんごが 上手じょうずですね! Japanese people usually start with modesty: いいえ、上手じょうずじゃありません. Saying ありがとうございます is fine too.

• リンさんは 絵えが 上手じょうずですね。 — Rin draws really well.
• せんせいは 料理りょうりが 上手じょうずです。 — Sensei is good at cooking.
• わたしは 歌うたが 下手へたです。 — I'm bad at singing.
• わたしは 料理りょうりが 得意とくいです。 — I'm good at cooking.
• わたしは スポーツが 苦手にがてです。 — I'm not very good at sports.
• 日本語にほんごが 上手じょうずですね！ — Your Japanese is great!
• いいえ、上手じょうずじゃありません。 — No, I'm not that good.

Grammar 3 / 3: Want

Thing wanted + が + ほしいです: カメラが ほしいです = I want a camera

• Still が: The thing wanted takes が: おみやげが ほしいです. Like 好すき and 上手じょうず, all three words in this lesson use が!
• i-adjective forms: ほしいです (want) → ほしくないです (don't want) → ほしかったです (wanted) → ほしくなかったです (didn't want). Exactly like 高たかい.
• A noun before it, not an action: ほしい follows a noun (things, time, friends... anything): カメラ, おみやげ, おかし... It can't follow an action directly. Wanting to "do" something (want to eat, want to go) uses another pattern, coming in a later lesson.
• Only for "I want": Use ほしいです only for "I want" and to ask "Do you want...?" To say what someone else wants, you'll learn another pattern later, so don't say リンさんは〜が ほしいです yet. With friends you can ask なにが ほしいですか. With a teacher or elder, asking "What do you want?" directly is not very polite, so use it rarely.

• わたしは 新あたらしい カメラが ほしいです。 — I want a new camera.
• おみやげは なにが ほしいですか。 — What souvenir do you want?
• どんな カメラが ほしいですか。 — What kind of camera do you want?
• 小ちいさい カメラが ほしいです。 — I want a small camera.
• おかしは ほしくないです。 — I don't want snacks.
• あの かさが ほしかったです。でも、高たかかったです。 — I wanted that umbrella then. But it was expensive.