Skip to content
JLPT N5Preferences

のが好き— Liking to Do Actions

好き needs a noun. To say you like DOING a verb, wrap the verb with の to turn it into a noun (nominalize it), then attach が好き.

Grammar path · 練習

Practice this in the path

A short lesson: the pattern, its sentence anatomy, a quick quiz and a sentence to build.

Pro lessonUNIT 29 · PREFERENCES

Structure · 形

[Verb, dictionary form] + の + が好き

Examples · 例文

  • 映画を見るのが好きです。

    Eiga o miru no ga suki desu.

    I like watching movies.

    映画を見る (watch movies) + の (nominalizer) + が好き (like) + です

  • 音楽を聞くのが好きです。

    Ongaku o kiku no ga suki desu.

    I like listening to music.

    音楽を聞く (listen to music) + の (nominalizer) + が好き (like) + です

  • 兄は料理を作るのが好きです。

    Ani wa ryouri o tsukuru no ga suki desu.

    My older brother likes cooking.

    料理を作る (make food) + の — the whole verb phrase becomes a noun that が好き can attach to

Usage notes · 注意

  • The nominalizer の: here の turns the whole phrase '(to) watch a movie' into a single noun-like block, so 好き can attach with its usual が.
  • こと alternative: 見ることが好きです works too. の feels a touch more casual/spoken; こと is a little more formal.

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones のが好き is tested against.

vsの vs こと (nominalizers)

Both turn a verb into a noun. の is preferred for perception/concrete actions and casual speech; こと leans formal and is required in fixed patterns (〜ことができる, 〜ことがある).

More preferences

Study Japanese grammar on LenGaki

Everything on this page, ready to study

  • 7,788 JLPT vocabulary words, N5 through N1, with readings and audio (N5 free)
  • 2,057 kanji with on'yomi, kun'yomi and stroke-order practice
  • 445 grammar points with examples and commonly-confused comparisons
  • Full-length N5 and N4 mock exams, timed, with real listening audio (N5 sets 1 and 2 free)