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watasi ha sore ga suki desu.

私わたし　は　それ　が　好すき　です。watasi ha sore ga suki desu.
I like that.
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Questions & Answers about watasi ha sore ga suki desu.

Why does this sentence have both は and が? Isn’t one particle enough?

In 私はそれが好きです。 (Watashi wa sore ga suki desu.), the particles have different jobs:

  • は (wa) marks the topic: what we’re talking about.
  • が (ga) marks the subject of the adjective 好き.

So the structure is:

  • 私 は – as for me / speaking about me
  • それ が – that thing is (the thing that has the property)
  • 好き です – is liked

Literally: “As for me, that is liked.”

Natural English: “I like that.”

Using both is very common in Japanese when you:

  • first set up who or what we’re talking about with は, then
  • show what has the property (好き, きれい, 便利, etc.) with が.
Can I just say それが好きです without 私?

Yes, and it’s very natural.

  • それが好きです。 – I like that.

Japanese often omits things that are obvious from context. If it’s clear you’re talking about your likes, 私 is unnecessary.

私はそれが好きです sounds a bit more explicit/emphatic about “me”:

  • 私はそれが好きです。 – As for me, I like that (maybe unlike others).
  • それが好きです。 – I like that. (neutral, default)
Why is it それが好きです and not それを好きです?

Because 好き is not a verb like “to like” in English. It’s a na-adjective / adjectival noun meaning “liked, pleasing, favorite”.

The grammar pattern is:

  • X が 好きです。 – X is liked / X is pleasing (to me).

So we mark the thing that is liked with が, not を.

✕ それを好きです is ungrammatical.
Use:

  • それが好きです。 – I like that.
  • 猫が好きです。 – I like cats.
If 好き isn’t a verb, how do I think of this sentence?

Think of it like a description, not an action.

  • 好き (すき) is like “liked / favorite / pleasing”.
  • です is the polite “to be” (copula).

So:

  • それが好きです。 → That is liked / That is pleasing (to me).

The “to me” part is usually understood, not said. In English we say “I like that,” but in Japanese it’s more like:

  • That is a liked thing (for me).
Is 私はそれが好きです more polite than 私はそれが好きだ?

Yes.

  • 好きです – polite/formal
  • 好きだ – plain/informal

So:

  • 私はそれが好きです。 – polite; good for talking to strangers, teachers, coworkers, etc.
  • 私はそれが好きだ。 – casual; used with friends, family, or people below you in hierarchy.

The meaning (liking something) is the same; only the politeness level changes.

Which is more natural: 私はそれが好きです or それが好きです?

In everyday conversation, それが好きです is usually more natural because Japanese likes to drop obvious subjects.

Use 私はそれが好きです when:

  • you’re contrasting yourself with others:
    • みんなは辛い料理が好きじゃないですが、私はそれが好きです。
      Everyone doesn’t like spicy food, but I like it.
  • you want to clearly emphasize “me” as the topic.

Otherwise, just それが好きです is perfectly fine.

What’s the difference between それが好きです and それは好きです?

Subtle nuance difference:

  1. それが好きです。

    • が focuses on what satisfies the adjective 好き.
    • Neutral statement: That is (the thing I) like.
    • Often used when choosing/identifying:
      • どれが好きですか。 – Which one do you like?
        それが好きです。 – I like that one.

  2. それは好きです。

    • は sets “that” as the topic/contrast.
    • Often implies contrast:
      • As for that, I like it (but maybe not something else).
    • Example:
      • 映画は好きですが、ゲームはあまり好きじゃないです。
        As for movies, I like them, but games I don’t like so much.

In many casual contexts they both translate as “I like that,” but が is more “this is the one I like,” while は often carries a “as for that…” or contrastive feel.

Can I say 私はそれが大好きです? What’s the difference between 好き and 大好き?

Yes, 私はそれが大好きです。 is correct.

  • 好き – like
  • 大好き (だいすき) – really like / love (in a strong sense)

Examples:

  • 私はそれが好きです。 – I like that.
  • 私はそれが大好きです。 – I really like that / I love that.

大好き is still an adjective-like word (same pattern: X が大好き).

How do I say “I don’t like that” using this pattern?

You just negate 好き:

  • 私はそれが好きじゃないです。
    I don’t like that. (polite, slightly casual)

    More formally:

  • 私はそれが好きではありません。

Casual:

  • それが好きじゃない。
  • それは好きじゃない。

Same pattern, just making 好き negative.

What’s the correct word order? Can I move things around?

The natural order for this sentence is:

  • [Topic] は [liked thing] が 好きです。

So:

  • 私はそれが好きです。
  • 私は寿司が好きです。 – I like sushi.
  • 兄は音楽が好きです。 – My older brother likes music.

You can sometimes rearrange within a larger sentence, but は and が almost always stick to the words they mark, and 好きです stays at the end. You can’t do things like:

  • ✕ 好きです私はそれが。

Japanese word order is relatively flexible, but predicates (like 好きです) naturally go at the end.

How would I say “I like you” using 好き?

You’d usually say:

  • あなたが好きです。 – Literally You are liked (by me).
    Natural English: I like you.

Often あなた is omitted:

  • 好きです。 (context: confessing) – I like you.

Be careful: あなたが好きです in a romantic context is often romantic liking, not just “you’re a nice person.” Context and tone matter a lot.

Can I drop それ too, and just say 好きです?

Yes, if the thing you like is obvious from context.

Example:

  • Someone shows you a shirt and asks:
    これ、どうですか。 – How about this?
    You: 好きです。 – I like it.

In conversation, you often only say 好きです / 好きだ / 好き when both the subject (“I”) and the object (“that/it”) are clear from context.