好き嫌い

すききらい

likes and dislikes, taste

JLPT N2

Character Breakdown

Understanding 好き嫌い

好き嫌い refers to a person's likes and dislikes, especially regarding food but also applicable to other preferences. It is commonly used to describe someone's taste or preference in everyday conversation.

Usage and Nuance

This word often appears when talking about eating habits, highlighting whether someone is picky or not. It can be used neutrally or with a slight negative nuance when someone is considered fussy.

Common Collocations

  • 好き嫌いが多い: to have many likes and dislikes, often implying picky eating.
  • 好き嫌いを言う: to complain about likes and dislikes.
  • 好き嫌いがはっきりしている: to have clear likes and dislikes.

Register and Politeness

好き嫌い is casual to neutral in tone and can be used in both spoken and written Japanese. It is appropriate in family, school, and workplace contexts.

Learner Tips

A common mistake is to confuse 好き嫌い with just 好き or 嫌い alone. 好き嫌い always refers to the range of preferences, not just one side. Also, avoid using it to describe abstract dislikes unrelated to personal taste or preference.

Example Sentences

こどもはすききらいがおおいので、えいようバランスのよいしょくじをつくるのがたいへんです。

Children have many likes and dislikes, so it's hard to prepare a nutritionally balanced meal.

すききらいをいわずに、まずはたべてみてください。

Please try eating it first without complaining about likes or dislikes.

かれはすききらいがはっきりしているので、しょくじのときにこまることがあります。

He has clear likes and dislikes, so sometimes it causes trouble during meals.