JLPT N3 › Conjugation 好く · godan verb (-ku)
Form Positive Negative Dictionary 好す く 好す かない Polite 好す きます 好す きません Past polite 好す きました 好す きませんでした Past 好す いた 好す かなかった Te-form 好す いて 好す かないで Desire 好す きたい 好す きたくない Potential 好す ける 好す けない Passive 好す かれる 好す かれない Causative 好す かせる 好す かせない Causative passive 好す かせられる also 好す かされる 好す かせられない also 好す かされない Volitional 好す こう Polite volitional 好す きましょう Imperative 好す け 好す くな Conditional 好す けば 好す かなければ Tara conditional 好す いたら 好す かなかったら
Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 を 好す く to like/be fond of someone
He had been fond of her for a long time.
〈 人ひと 〉 に 好す かれる to be liked by someone
好す かない 〈 人ひと 〉 a person one dislikes/finds unlikeable
There's just something unlikeable about him.
Expressions· 14 好す きなだけ all you want; as much as one wants 好す きな 時とき に whenever you want; any time you like 好す きにする do as one likes; have one's way 好す きになる come to like; become fond of; fall in love Show 3 more Show fewer 好す き 好この んで by choice; willingly; for the love of it 好す きなように as you like; as you want; as you will See all 14 in Explore →
Kanji 好 fond, pleasing, like something Related words 好む is a more formal verb for preferring or favoring something, while 好く is a plainer, more dialectal way to say 'to like' a person or thing.
気に入る describes taking a liking to something after encountering it and is common in standard Japanese, whereas 好く is rarer and often confined to negative or passive forms.
愛する expresses deep love or devotion, a stronger feeling than the simple liking conveyed by 好く .
Don't confuse with 好く (すく ) means 'to like', while 空く (すく ) means 'to become empty or less crowded'; they are pronounced identically but unrelated in meaning.
好く (すく ) means 'to like', while 透く (すく ) means 'to be transparent or show through'; only the pronunciation is shared.
Word family· 40 liking; fond of; favorite; to one's taste · romantically fond of; in love with; beloved · faddism; eccentric fondness; strong enthusiasm · as one likes; as it suits one; freely · lecherous; lustful; salacious
love; like very much; be very fond of
likes and dislikes; preferences; pickiness (esp. about food)
fondness for women; woman admirer; lustful man · attractive to women; lady-killer
love of drink; drinker
Show 14 more Show fewer idle curiosity; whimsical interest; strange taste
attractiveness; charm; amiability
obliging person; person who likes looking after others
attractive to men; appealing to men · woman who likes men; amorous woman
matter of taste; personal preference
dislike; no liking for; no interest in
gadabout; person who loves going out
crush; love interest; person one likes
degree of liking; how much one likes
hospitality; love of having guests
book lover; bibliophile · love of books; bibliophilism
being crazy about something despite being bad at it
enjoys having guests; sociable
quarrelsome; contentious
See all 40 in Explore →
Etymology The verb 好く is of native Japanese origin, related to the adjective 好き (likeable). The exact derivation is uncertain.
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