気(き)に入(い)る

気(き)に入(い)る is a common expression meaning to like or be pleased with something.

Transitivity

• Type: 自動詞(じどうし) (intransitive)
• No standard transitive pair
• Pattern: 気(き)に入(い)る

Etymology

• 気(き): feeling, spirit
• に: into
• 入(い)る: to enter

Literally: "enters one's feeling" = pleases

Forms

• 気(き)に入(い)る: to like (plain)
• 気(き)に入(い)った: liked (past)
• 気(き)に入(い)らない: to not like
• お気(き)に入(い)り: favorite (noun form)

Common patterns

• What is liked takes が: この服(ふく)が気(き)に入(い)った
• Person who likes can be marked with は or は topic

Common expressions

• お気(き)に入(い)りの〜: favorite ~
• 気(き)に入(い)ってもらえると嬉(うれ)しい: I'd be happy if you like it

ASPECT (ている):

• 気(き)に入(い)っている: likes, is fond of (resultative state)
• 気(き)に入(い)った: came to like (punctual)
• Note: 気(き)に入(い)る is a punctual change-of-state verb — the plain past 気(き)に入(い)った describes the moment of taking a liking, while the ている form describes the resulting ongoing state of liking something. In English, both 気(き)に入(い)った and 気(き)に入(い)っている can translate as "I like it," but the former emphasizes "I came to like it (just now)" and the latter emphasizes "I currently like it."