The Meaning of Suki: What It Is and How To Use It

This article will give you all of the knowledge you need on the word suki, including its definition and translation in multiple languages, usage, origin, example sentences, and more!

Your writing, at its best

Compose bold, clear, mistake-free, writing with Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistant

What does the word suki mean?

According to Thought Co, in the Japanese language, the word suki is pronounced “suh-kee” and means a liking of, love of, or fondness for. The kanji, or symbolic representation for suki, is 好. Urban Dictionary states that the word suki can also be slang for “love,’ because “daisuki” in Japanese means “to like a lot.” “Suki” can be seen as slang for the word “daisuki.”

In Finnish, the word suki is a past tense verb meaning “he groomed” or “he rubbed down” in English, according to LingQ. Suki also carries many meanings in Sanskrit, according to Wisdom Lib.

Sukiyaki is a Japanese hot pot dish that contains meat and vegetables cooked in a soy sauce broth, according to Just One Cookbook. This sweet and salty broth is full of bold flavors perfect on a cold day. Sukiyaki can either be cooked Kansai style or Kanto style. Kansai style sukiyaki is from Osaka, and Kanto style is from Tokyo. In Kansai style, one seasons the meat with sugar, soy sauce, and sake. They eat some of the meat first before adding the rest of the ingredients to the pot. In Kanto style, they make the sauce first and then all of the ingredients are added to the broth at the same time. Many Japanese grocery stores sell pre-sliced beef labeled sukiyaki beef.

Suki is also a girl’s name. Baby Names states that the name Suki is of Japanese origin, and means “beloved.” This name is not very common. Behind The Name states that in Japan, the name does not exist as a feminine name. However, many English baby books and websites have popularized the name as being a Japanese girl’s name. However, the Japanese Baby Names Project lists three possible spellings of Suki which could be used as names: 

スキ (the phonetic katakana spelling of Suki)

好希 (“to like” + “to hope”)

寿紀 (“longevity” + “history”)

This shows that Suki is a very rare name. While the name Tsuki, meaning “moon” or “month” may look similar to Suki, these names are pronounced differently and have no relation. This name in America may have been popularized by the many famous people and characters who share the name.

Where is the name Suki seen in popular culture?

The name Suki, or it’s variant Sookie, is present among many different celebrities and characters on television, in films, and in anime.

Suki Chui Suk-Man is a Hong Kong based actress, according to DB Pedia.In 2006, she participated in the Miss Hong Kong Pageant and won the Tourism Ambassador award. She is married to Kenny Wee. According to People Pill, she has appeared in many television programs and dramas, including Homeland Beauty, A Great Way to Care, and The Green Grass of Home.

According to IMDb, Suki Waterhouse is an English actress and model from Hammersmith, London. She is known for her work in Assassination Nation, a Rainy Day in New York, Insurgent, and Daisy Jones and The Six.

Suki Kim is a Korean-American investigative journalist, novelist, and essayist, according to her website. She is the only writer to ever live undercover in North Korea for the purpose of immersive journalism. She was born and raised in South Korea, and has traveled to North Korea in 2002 and 2011. There, she lives in Pyongyang for many months during the final year of the reign of leader Kim Jong-il. Her book Without You, There Is No Us: Undercover Among the Sons of North Korea’s Elite is a New York Times bestseller. 

Sookie St. James is a character from the television show Gilmore Girls, and is played by actress Melissa McCarthy. According to Fandom, Sookie St. James is the co-owner and chef of the Dragonfly Inn. She is bubbly and fun, and main character Lorelai Gilmore’s best friend. She is married to Jackson Belleville, the produce supplier for the Dragonfly Inn.

Sookie Stackhouse is a character from Charlaine Harris’ True Blood book series, published by Penguin Random House. The series was adapted into an HBO series of the same name, and stars Anna Paquin as Sookie. According to Fandom, Sookie is a halfling (half faerie half human) and a telepath. She is awkward around others, and her telepathy makes it difficult for her to from close relationships with people. 

Overall, the word suki is a Japanese noun meaning a fondness for, liking for, or love for. In Finnish, the word is a paste tense verb meaning “he groomed.” The word also has different meanings in Sanskrit. In English speaking countries, the word suki is most commonly used as a name, although this is not a name that is used in Japan itself. Many may believe it is a name because of the plethora of actors, models, and characters with the name Suki, or its variante Sookie and Sukee. Some of these well known Sukis include Suki Chui, a Hong Kong based actress, Suki Kim, an investigative journalist and novelist, Suki Waterhouse, an English model and actress, Sookie St. James, a character of Gilmore Girls, or Sookie Stackhouse, a character from True Blood.

Sources:

  1. https://www.thoughtco.com/suki-meaning-and-characters-2028821
  2. https://trueblood.fandom.com/wiki/Sookie_Stackhouse
  3. https://gilmoregirls.fandom.com/wiki/Sookie_St._James
  4. https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=suki%20suki
  5. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/BUI/sookie-stackhousetrue-blood
  6. https://www.justonecookbook.com/sukiyaki/
  7. https://www.babynames.com/name/suki#:~:text=The%20name%20Suki%20means%20Beloved,considering%20baby%20names%20for%20girls.
  8. https://www.behindthename.com/bb/fact/3932586
  9. http://dbpedia.org/page/Suki_Chui
  10. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4025229/
  11. https://peoplepill.com/people/suki-chui/
  12. https://www.sukikim.com/
  13. https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/shuki#sanskrit
  14. https://www.lingq.com/en/learn-finnish-online/translate/fi/suki/