Learn Hardcore Japanese: watasi ha kono syousetu ga ki ni irimasita.

Japanese often uses a topic–comment structure. 私は marks the topic “as for me,” while この小説が marks the grammatical subject of the predicate 気に入りました (“[it] entered my liking”). So the structure is “As for me, this novel pleased me.” This pattern (X は Y が …) is common with stative verbs and adjectives (e.g., 私は背が高い).

What does 気に入る literally mean?

Literally, it’s “to enter (入る) into one’s 気 (mind/liking),” i.e., something comes to be to your liking. Idiomatically, it means “to take a liking to,” “to be pleased with,” or “to find something appealing (after trying/seeing it).”

What is the role of に in 気に入る? Can I drop it?

Here, に is part of the fixed expression 気に入る and marks the “destination” of 入る: entering one’s 気. You cannot say “気入る”; the set phrase is 気に入る.

Why is 入 in 気に入る pronounced い (ki ni iru) and not はい (hai)?

In the standalone verb, 入る is usually read はいる. But in certain fixed expressions, it’s read いる. 気に入る (きにいる) and its forms (気に入りました / きにいりました, 気に入っている / きにいっている) use the いる reading. Don’t say きにはいりました here.

Is 気に入る transitive or intransitive?

Grammatically, 気に入る is treated as intransitive: the thing you like is marked with が (or sometimes を in modern usage; see below). The experiencer is often the topic (私は), not the subject of the verb.

Can I use を instead of が with 気に入る?

Both appear in real usage:

Textbook/neutral: この小説が気に入った/気に入りました。
Very common in speech/writing: この小説を気に入った/気に入りました。 Using が emphasizes the item as the subject of the intransitive event; を treats the phrase more like a transitive “I liked X.” Both are acceptable; beginners are usually taught the が pattern.

Why is the verb in the past (気に入りました)? Does it mean I don’t like it anymore?

No. 気に入る describes the moment/state of “coming to like” something upon encountering it. Using the past (気に入りました/気に入った) often means “I liked it (upon trying/reading it),” and in context it can imply “I like it (so I’ll take it).” It doesn’t imply you stopped liking it.

How do I say “I like it (now/these days),” not just “I liked it when I tried it”?

Use the progressive/state:

Polite: この小説が気に入っています。
Plain: この小説が気に入っている。 This means you currently like it (ongoing state). Alternatively, この小説が好きです is the neutral “I like this novel.”

What’s the difference between 気に入る and 好き?

気に入る: you “took a liking to” something after experiencing it; often used for items you choose (clothes, a book, a hotel), or evaluations.
好き: a general, stable preference/affection. If you want to express “came to like,” use 好きになる. Examples:
この小説が気に入りました。 I tried/read it and it pleased me.
この小説が好きです。 I like this novel (in general).
この小説が好きになりました。 I became fond of this novel (over time).

Can I use 気に入る for people?

Yes, but it can sound evaluative/objectifying, like “took a liking to” or “approved of.” For romantic/affectionate liking, 好き is more natural. For example, a boss might say 彼を気に入った (“I like him/I’m impressed with him”), whereas 彼が好き is “I like him (romantically/personally).”

Is 私 necessary? Can I drop it?

You can drop it if context is clear. この小説、気に入りました。 is natural. Japanese often omits the subject/topic when it’s understood.

Can I say この小説は気に入りました?

Yes. この小説は気に入りました topicalizes the novel: “As for this novel, I liked it.” With 私はこの小説が…, the topic is “me,” and the grammatical subject is “this novel.” Both are fine; the choice depends on what you’re contrasting/focusing on.

How do I make the negative?

Present negative (polite): 気に入りません (“It doesn’t/ didn’t please me” in polite present; often used for immediate evaluation).
Past negative (polite): 気に入りませんでした.
Plain present negative: 気に入らない.
Plain past negative: 気に入らなかった. Note: 入る is a godan verb here, so the negative uses 入ら-, not 入い-.

Is 気に入らない the same as 好きじゃない?

Both mean you don’t like something, but:

気に入らない can feel stronger/more evaluative: “It doesn’t sit right with me / I’m not satisfied with it.”
好きじゃない is a milder “I don’t like it (much).”

Why is the spacing shown between words? Do Japanese normally write with spaces?

Japanese normally does not use spaces between words. The spacing here is pedagogical, to show word boundaries: 私｜は｜この｜小説｜が｜気｜に｜入りました. In real writing you’d write 私はこの小説が気に入りました。

What’s the difference between 気に入りました and 気に入っています when shopping?

気に入りました: “I tried it and I like it” (often implies you’ll take it).
気に入っています: “I like it (as an ongoing preference),” e.g., talking about something you already own and enjoy.

Any other common variants I should know?

More casual: この小説、気に入った。
With 好き: この小説が好きです／好きになりました。
Emphatic: とても気に入りました。
“Favorite” as a noun: お気に入り (e.g., 私のお気に入りの小説 = “my favorite novel”).