watasi ha inu ga suki desu.

I like dogs.

Breakdown of watasi ha inu ga suki desu.

• は: topic particle
• 犬いぬ: dog
• です: to be
• 私わたし: I
• が: subject particle
• 好すき: like

Questions & Answers about watasi ha inu ga suki desu.

What role does the particle は play in 私は?

The particle は is the “topic marker.” It tells your listener what you’re talking about—here, 私 (“I”). A loose English equivalent is “as for me.” So 私は means “as for me…” and sets you up to say something about yourself.

Why is 犬 marked with が instead of を, which usually marks the direct object?

In Japanese 好き isn’t a transitive verb (“to like”) but a な-adjective meaning “likable” or “pleasant.” The thing you like (犬) is the subject of that adjective, so you use the subject marker が, not the object marker を.

English: “Dogs are pleasing to me.”
Japanese: 犬(subject) が 好き(adjective) です.

What kind of word is 好き? Is it a verb?

好き is a な-adjective (sometimes called a nominal adjective). It behaves grammatically like an adjective + noun combination, not like a verb. That’s why you see it with が (subject marker) and why you need a copula (だ／です) to finish the predicate.

What is the function of です at the end of 好きです?

です is the polite copula. It turns the adjective into a polite statement. Without です you’d be in plain form (casual speech) and would say 好きだ or even just 好き in very informal contexts.

Can I omit 私は in this sentence?

Yes. If it’s clear from context you’re talking about yourself, you can drop 私は and simply say 犬が好きです. Japanese often omits topics when they’re understood.

Can I omit です and still understand the sentence?

You can drop です for a more casual/plain style:

• Plain copula form: 私は犬が好きだ
• Even more casual: 犬が好き
  But in polite conversation you’ll usually keep です.

How do I ask someone “Do you like dogs?” in Japanese?

Add the question particle か at the end:
犬が好きですか。
In casual speech you can also say 犬が好き？ with rising intonation.

What’s the nuance difference between 犬が好きです and 犬は好きです?

• 犬が好きです simply states “I like dogs.”
• 犬は好きです uses は to mark dogs as the topic, often implying contrast or limitation, e.g. “As for dogs, I like them (but …).” It can hint “I like dogs, but I don’t like cats,” or “Regarding dogs, yes I do.” The difference is subtle but shifts focus.