JLPT N3 · Compound verbs & suffixes
向（む）き (muki)
～向き — suited to ～, facing ～
In short · Has two uses: something suits a person or purpose, and something faces a certain direction. It attaches to nouns, in the forms ～向きの＋noun and ～向きだ.
Pattern
-
N＋向きだ／向きの＋NNoun + 向きだ / 向きの + noun -
方角＋向きDirection + 向き
Being suitable
初心者向き or 子ども向きではない says whether something fits. The focus is on whether it actually suits, not the maker's intention. The negative is ～向きではない.
Facing a direction
南向きの部屋 and 東向きの窓 mean facing that direction. Often used when talking about sunlight, and basic when choosing a room, house or window.
Examples
-
この本（ほん）は初心者（しょしんしゃ）向（む）きです。
Kono hon wa shoshinsha muki desu.
This book is suitable for beginners.
-
この部屋（へや）は南（みなみ）向（む）きで、日当（ひあ）たりがいい。
Kono heya wa minami muki de, hiatari ga ii.
This room faces south and gets good sunlight.
-
辛（から）い料理（りょうり）は、子（こ）ども向（む）きではない。
Karai ryōri wa, kodomo muki de wa nai.
Spicy dishes aren't suited to children.
Common mistakes
- 向き and 向け differ: 向き is 'suited to,' 向け is 'aimed at.'
- 向き不向き is a set phrase meaning 'suited or unsuited.'
More grammar points
- 上（あ）げる ～上げる — to finish ～ completely
- 合（あ）う ～合う — do ～ to each other; to fit, to suit
- だらけ ～だらけ — covered in ～, full of ～ (something bad)
- がち ～がち — tends to ～ (usually undesirable)
- がたい ～がたい — hard to ～
- 気味（ぎみ） ～気味 — a touch of ～
- かける ～かける — half-done, in the middle of ～
- 切（き）れない ～切れない — cannot finish, cannot fully ～
- 切（き）る ～切る — do ～ completely, to the end
- 込（こ）む ～込む — into, crowded, deeply ～
- 向（む）け ～向け — intended for ～, aimed at ～
- 直（なお）す ～直す — do ～ over again
- っぱなし ～っぱなし — leaving ～ as it is
- っぽい ～っぽい — ～-ish / tends to be ～
- たて ～たて — “freshly ～ed / just done”
- 的（てき） ～的 — “-like / -al” (makes an adjective)
- 通（とお）す ～通す — “do ～ all the way through”
- あまり あまりの～に — so ～ that ～
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