Word
Kana: しこう Romaji: shikou Level: N1

嗜好

Meaning in English

taste, liking, preference

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Dictionary

Word context

What it means

嗜好 means a person’s personal taste or preference. It refers to what someone enjoys or tends to favor, shaping choices in food, drink, activities, or lifestyle; the term is often used in neutral or analytical contexts to discuss individual or group preferences.

Main meanings

  • Personal taste or preference in general, describing what someone likes or tends to choose.
  • Indulgence or fondness, suggesting a habitual or cultivated liking that influences behavior.
  • In compounds like 嗜好品, denotes items kept for pleasure or luxury rather than necessity.

How to use it

Used as a noun in neutral to formal contexts to denote a person’s tastes or preferences; commonly appears in discussions of consumer behavior, gastronomy, psychology, and lifestyle analysis. It can refer to tastes for substances (food, drink) as well as preferences for activities or stylistic choices.

Variants and close terms

  • 好み (konomi) — preference, taste; romaji konomi
  • 趣味 (shumi) — hobby, interest; romaji shumi
  • 嫌い (kirai) — dislike; romaji kirai

Composition

  • 嗜: to indulge; appetite or inclination
  • 好: like; fondness, preference
  • Combined meaning: a person’s refined taste or liking, i.e., their personal inclination

Word class

Noun (名詞)

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