Japanese Language Made Simpler - Lesson 5

This lesson we will touch on how to form sentences with 'like' (好き = suki) and 'dislike' (嫌い = kirai).


For such sentences, these are the formats to use:

• [Pronoun] は [noun]が好き です。= [Pronoun] likes [noun].
  
• [Pronoun] は [noun]が嫌いです。= [Pronoun] dislikes [noun].

For eg:

• Watashi wa aki ga suki desu. = 私は秋がすきです。= I like autumns.
  (aki = autumn)
  
• Kare wa inu ga kirai desu. = 彼は犬がきらいです。
  (inu = dog)

For cases, when the object of like/ dislike is not a noun but an action:

(It's a bit more difficult as dictionary form is required here)

• [Pronoun] は[verb-dictionary form] の/ことが好きです。= [Pronoun] likes [action/activity].
  


• [Pronoun] は[verb-dictionary form] の/ことが嫌いです。= [Pronoun] dislikes [action/activity].

Thus,

• Kanojo wa terebi o miru no ga suki desu. = 彼女はテレビを見るのが好きです。= She likes watching television. (terebi = television, miru = watch/ see)
  
• Karera wa wasabi o taberu koto ga kirai desu.. = 彼らはわさびを食べることが嫌いです。= They dislike eating wasabi. (taberu = eat)

* Verb- Dictionary Form

There are 3 groups of verbs: Group 1 (xx-y-masu, where y changes with the grammar rules), Group 2 (xx-masu, whereby only masu changes with grammar rules) and Group 3 (made up of only 2 verb forms involving 'kimasu' and 'shimasu' (where kimasu means come and shimasu means do).

Meaning	xx- masu	Dictionary Form
Group 1
listen	kikimasu	kiku
hurry	issogimasu	issogu
drink	nomimasu	nomu
play	asobimasu	asobu
cut	kirimasu	kiru
wait	machimasu	matsu
say	iimasu	iu
lose	nakushimasu	nakusu
Group 2
eat	tabemasu	taberu
Group 3
bring	motte-kimasu	motte-kuru
take a walk	sanpo-shimasu	sanpo-suru