Meet 好 in 好き, 好む and 好意. Read each complete word in its context.
The idea
好 has 6 strokes; follow the linked KanjiVG diagram. Compare 好き（すき） and 好む（このむ）: learn each reading with the whole word.
| Japanese word | Reading | Example in context |
|---|---|---|
| 好き | すき | I like quiet music. |
| 好む | このむ | My father prefers strong coffee. |
| 好意 | こうい | I thanked him for his kindness. |
Examples
- 私は静かな音楽が好きです。I like quiet music.
- 兄は辛い料理が好きです。My older brother likes spicy food.
- 好みの色を選んでください。Please choose a colour you like.
- 父は濃いコーヒーを好みます。My father prefers strong coffee.
- 彼の好意に感謝しました。I thanked him for his kindness.
- 好物は祖母のカレーです。My favourite food is my grandmother’s curry.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
好き normally marks the liked thing with が; 好む is a verb and takes を. 好意 means goodwill, not a preference.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 好き in hiragana.
Show answer or example answer
すき
好き is read すき. In context: I like quiet music.
Write the reading of 好む in hiragana.
Show answer or example answer
このむ
好む is read このむ. In context: My father prefers strong coffee.
Fill in the missing kanji: ＿意（こうい）.
Show answer or example answer
好
好 completes 好意, read こうい. In context: I thanked him for his kindness.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 好き in hiragana.
Write the reading of 好む in hiragana.
Fill in the missing kanji: ＿意（こうい）.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
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Cover the table, write 好 from memory, and read 好き and 好む aloud. Then make a sentence with one of them.