You like me, don't you with 〜のこと好き

A young man in a dark suit smirks as he walks beside Ran, a gyaru in a fur-trimmed coat. In a large close-up, Ran gives him a cool, knowing smile.
GALS! » Volume 1 » Page 3

Ran is walking through town. A smug young man in a sharp suit has fallen into step beside her.

男(おとこ):
「オレのこと好(す)きなんだろ?」
“You like me, don't you?”
蘭(らん):
「てめーマツキヨCMのチンピラかよ?」
“What are you, some punk out of a Matsukiyo commercial?”

Key Points

1オレのこと好(す)き
  • のこと after オレ makes him the person the liking is aimed at. オレのこと好(す)き means “you like me”.
  • The full form is オレのことが好(す)き. In casual speech, the が often drops.
  • With 好(す)き, のこと is optional. オレが好(す)き means the same thing, but the のこと version is common in conversation.
2なんだろ presses for agreement
  • なんだろ is a casual なのだろう. な links the na-adjective 好(す)き to んだ, and だろ with a rising tone asks the listener to confirm: “You like me, don’t you?”
  • The question assumes the answer, which is what makes it so presumptuous.
3Ran’s rough reply
  • てめー is a hostile “you”. かよ at the end of a question adds scorn: “What are you, some…?”
  • マツキヨ is short for Matsumoto Kiyoshi, a drugstore chain, and CM is a TV commercial. チンピラ is a small-time punk.

Vocabulary

(You (rough))

てめえ is a rough, hostile word for “you”, used in anger or to pick a fight. It is often written てめー.

(I)

オレ is a katakana spelling of おれ, a casual, masculine word for “I”. It is also written 俺(おれ).

(Thing)

こと is an abstract thing, matter, or fact, as opposed to a physical object. It also turns a verb phrase into a noun, as in 見たことがある. It is also written 事(こと).

(Liked)

好(す)き describes something you like or someone you love.

(Punk)

チンピラ is a small-time thug or a young hoodlum who acts tough.

See Also

GALS! © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.