Learn Japanese: JLPT N5 – Talk About Likes and Dislikes

This article will guide you through learning how to talk about your likes and dislikes in Japanese, specifically focusing on the conversational aspect required for the JLPT N5 exam. Don’t worry about complex grammar – we’ll focus on practical phrases and common situations.

Essential Vocabulary

• 食べ物 (tabemono) – Food
• 好き (suki) – Like
• 嫌い (kirai) – Dislike
• おいしい (oishii) – Delicious
• まずい (mazui) – Bad taste/Disgusting
• ご飯 (gohan) – Rice (and often, meals)
• 野菜 (yasai) – Vegetables
• 肉 (niku) – Meat
• 魚 (sakana) – Fish
• 果物 (kudamono) – Fruit

Basic Phrases

Here are some key phrases you’ll use:

• 私は～が好きです。(Watashi wa ～ ga suki desu.) – I like ~. (e.g., 私はコーヒーが好きです。- Watashi wa koohii ga suki desu. – I like coffee.)
• 私は～が嫌いです。(Watashi wa ～ ga kirai desu.) – I dislike ~. (e.g., 私はピーマンが嫌いです。- Watashi wa pieman ga kirai desu. – I dislike bell peppers.)
• ～は好きですか？(~ wa suki desu ka?) – Do you like ~? (e.g., ご飯は好きですか？- Gohan wa suki desu ka? – Do you like rice?)

Example Dialogues

Dialogue 1: Ordering Food at a Restaurant

A: こんにちは！(Konnichiwa! – Hello!) このメニュー、何が一番好きですか？ (Kono menyuu, nani ga ichiban suki desu ka? – What do you like the most on this menu?)

B: 私はラーメンが好きです。(Watashi wa ramen ga suki desu. – I like ramen.) あなたは？(Anata wa? – And you?)

A: 私は寿司が好きです。(Watashi wa sushi ga suki desu. – I like sushi.)

Dialogue 2: Talking about Preferences

A: 何を食べますか？ (Nani o tabemasu ka? – What do you eat?)

B: 野菜と肉を食べます。(Yasai to niku o tabemasu. – I eat vegetables and meat.) ピーマンは嫌いです。(Pieman wa kirai desu. – I dislike bell peppers.)

A: それは残念ですね。(Sore wa zannen desu ne. – That’s a shame/too bad.)

Common Mistakes and Corrections

• Incorrect: 私は食べ物好きです。 (Watashi wa tabemono suki desu.) – This is grammatically incorrect. Use “～が” construction for likes and dislikes.

Correct: 私は食べ物が好きです。(Watashi wa tabemono ga suki desu.) – I like food.

• Pronunciation Confusion: “oishii” can sound like “oishee.” Focus on the ‘i’ sound as in “fish.”

Real-World Situations

You’ll use these phrases when:

• Ordering food at a restaurant.
• Meeting new people and discussing your tastes.
• Shopping for groceries – asking about ingredients.
• Responding to someone’s opinion about food.

Practice saying these phrases out loud! Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – that’s part of the learning process.