Hello! Welcome to Day 17 of your Japanese learning adventure!
Today, we’re learning how to ask about favorite foods using the particle は (wa).
This is perfect for chatting with friends about what you love to eat, like sushi or apples.
You’re making great progress in Japanese! Keep practicing, and you’ll sound natural soon. Let’s dive into fun words and sentences!
Vocabulary
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| たべもの | tabemono | Food |
| すき | suki | Like |
| わたし | watashi | I, me |
| ともだち | tomodachi | Friend |
| りんご | ringo | Apple |
| すし | sushi | Sushi |
| パン | pan | Bread |
| みず | mizu | Water |
| にく | niku | Meat |
| やさい | yasai | Vegetable |
Grammar Point
The particle は (wa) marks the topic of a sentence, like “as for” in English.
It’s used to focus on what you’re talking about.
To ask about someone’s favorite food, say: すきな たべもの は なん です か？ (sukina tabemono wa nan desu ka?) meaning “What food do you like?”
To answer, use は to introduce yourself and が (ga) for what you like: わたし は すし が すき です (watashi wa sushi ga suki desu) means “I like sushi.”
The word すき (suki) is used with が to show what you like, and です (desu) makes it polite.
This structure is simple and great for JLPT N5 learners to talk about preferences in daily conversations, like at a restaurant or with friends.
Example Sentences
- すきな たべもの は なん です か？ (sukina tabemono wa nan desu ka?)
- What food do you like?
- わたし は りんご が すき です。 (watashi wa ringo ga suki desu.)
- I like apples.
- ともだち は パン が すき です。 (tomodachi wa pan ga suki desu.)
- My friend likes bread.
- わたし は すし が すき です。 (watashi wa sushi ga suki desu.)
- I like sushi.
- おとうさん は にく が すき です。 (otousan wa niku ga suki desu.)
- My father likes meat.
- おかあさん は やさい が すき です。 (okaasan wa yasai ga suki desu.)
- My mother likes vegetables.
- わたし は みず が すき です。 (watashi wa mizu ga suki desu.)
- I like water.
- ともだち は すし が すき です。 (tomodachi wa sushi ga suki desu.)
- My friend likes sushi.
Practice Activity
Let’s have fun talking about food! Write six sentences using は, すき, and が to describe what you or others like to eat. Say each sentence aloud to practice your pronunciation.
Then, try asking a friend: すきな たべもの は なん です か？
Write down their answer and make a sentence about it, like ともだち は すし が すき です.
If you’re alone, practice by imagining a conversation or recording yourself. This will help you feel confident talking about food in Japanese!
Conclusion
Awesome job learning to ask about favorite foods with は!
You can now say わたし は すし が すき です or ask すきな たべもの は なん です か？
Try these with a friend or at a restaurant. You’re speaking Japanese so well! Keep going, and we’ll learn more tomorrow!
