In modern Japanese, すき is one of the most commonly used words to express liking or preference. However, its grammatical nature and usage patterns often confuse both learners and native speakers. This deep dive explores why we use すき instead of すく, and how this evolution has shaped modern Japanese.
The Decline of すく
The verb すく (好く) was once the primary form, but has largely fallen out of use in modern Japanese. As one source notes:
「好き」「嫌い」には、それに対応する動詞「好く」「嫌う」があるが現在では「好く」はあまり使われていない。
Interestingly, すく still survives in the Osaka dialect:
ちなみに、大阪弁では「好く」はれっきとした動詞である.
Grammatical Nature of すき
Classification as a な-Adjective
すき is neither a transitive nor intransitive verb, but rather a な-adjective (形容動詞). This is seen in its patterns:
Similar な-adjectives include:
Why すき Can’t Be a Verb
A clear linguistic rule helps us understand why すき isn’t a verb:
「すき」は動詞ではありません。「う」で終わりませんね。日本語の動詞は基本の形が「だ」以外全部「う」の音で終わります。
「すき」is not a verb as it doesn’t end in 「う」. Japanese verbs, with the exception of 「だ」, all end in 「う」.
Particle Usage with すき
The が vs を Distinction
One of the most common points of confusion is why すき takes が rather than を. The explanation lies in its grammatical function: it’s functioning as a な-adjective describing a state rather than a verb describing an action, and the が marks the object of the feeling in a way that’s analogous to, but distinct from, the direct object marking of transitive verbs.
When すき is the predicate, が is mandatory, を is wrong:
「好き」が述語の場合は、「～が好き」が正しい形で、「～を好き」は誤りです。
Conditions for Using を
However, を can be used with すき in specific contexts, particularly when another verb serves as the main predicate:
Potential Ambiguity
An interesting complexity arises when both subject and object are people. Considering this example:
わたしがすきな人
As the source notes, in such cases, it is hard to tell who’s the object or subject:
主体と客体が両方「人」のとき、どちらが主体でどちらが客体か、見た／聞いただけでは分かりません。
Modern Usage Patterns
Surviving Forms of すく
While すく has largely fallen out of use, it survives in certain modified forms:
「好く」は動詞ではあるが、好かないとか好かれるとかの修飾に留まっています。
Compound Formation
Modern compounds using すき are based on the な-adjective form rather than the verb すく:
買い物好き等の複合語彙は形容動詞を基にしています。
Common examples include:
Incorrect Modern Formations
そういえば、「好きくない」という表現がことばの乱れの一例として
槍玉にあげられている、というのを耳にしたことがあります。
結論から言います。
すばり、名詞を無理に形容詞として活用させたから。
tamacoさん discusses in his post how some modern speakers create incorrect forms like 好きくない, which comes from treating すき as an i-adjective rather than its proper grammatical category:
言葉の乱れポリスからしたら「好きではない」「好きじゃない」が”正しい”表現ということになるのでしょう。
Conclusion
The evolution of すき from verb to な-adjective represents an interesting case of grammatical change in Japanese. While traces of its verbal origins remain in certain contexts and dialects, its primary function today is as a な-adjective, complete with its own unique patterns of particle usage and compound formation.
Leave a Comment