diff --git a/system/Database/BaseBuilder.php b/system/Database/BaseBuilder.php
index 51960986de54..6a19032eda5a 100644
--- a/system/Database/BaseBuilder.php
+++ b/system/Database/BaseBuilder.php
@@ -932,7 +932,7 @@ protected function _whereIn(?string $key = null, $values = null, bool $not = fal
      * Generates a %LIKE% portion of the query.
      * Separates multiple calls with 'AND'.
      *
-     * @param mixed $field
+     * @param array|RawSql|string $field
      *
      * @return $this
      */
@@ -945,7 +945,7 @@ public function like($field, string $match = '', string $side = 'both', ?bool $e
      * Generates a NOT LIKE portion of the query.
      * Separates multiple calls with 'AND'.
      *
-     * @param mixed $field
+     * @param array|RawSql|string $field
      *
      * @return $this
      */
@@ -958,7 +958,7 @@ public function notLike($field, string $match = '', string $side = 'both', ?bool
      * Generates a %LIKE% portion of the query.
      * Separates multiple calls with 'OR'.
      *
-     * @param mixed $field
+     * @param array|RawSql|string $field
      *
      * @return $this
      */
@@ -971,7 +971,7 @@ public function orLike($field, string $match = '', string $side = 'both', ?bool
      * Generates a NOT LIKE portion of the query.
      * Separates multiple calls with 'OR'.
      *
-     * @param mixed $field
+     * @param array|RawSql|string $field
      *
      * @return $this
      */
@@ -984,7 +984,7 @@ public function orNotLike($field, string $match = '', string $side = 'both', ?bo
      * Generates a %LIKE% portion of the query.
      * Separates multiple calls with 'AND'.
      *
-     * @param mixed $field
+     * @param array|RawSql|string $field
      *
      * @return $this
      */
@@ -997,7 +997,7 @@ public function havingLike($field, string $match = '', string $side = 'both', ?b
      * Generates a NOT LIKE portion of the query.
      * Separates multiple calls with 'AND'.
      *
-     * @param mixed $field
+     * @param array|RawSql|string $field
      *
      * @return $this
      */
@@ -1010,7 +1010,7 @@ public function notHavingLike($field, string $match = '', string $side = 'both',
      * Generates a %LIKE% portion of the query.
      * Separates multiple calls with 'OR'.
      *
-     * @param mixed $field
+     * @param array|RawSql|string $field
      *
      * @return $this
      */
@@ -1023,7 +1023,7 @@ public function orHavingLike($field, string $match = '', string $side = 'both',
      * Generates a NOT LIKE portion of the query.
      * Separates multiple calls with 'OR'.
      *
-     * @param mixed $field
+     * @param array|RawSql|string $field
      *
      * @return $this
      */
@@ -1042,20 +1042,54 @@ public function orNotHavingLike($field, string $match = '', string $side = 'both
      * @used-by notHavingLike()
      * @used-by orNotHavingLike()
      *
-     * @param mixed $field
+     * @param array|RawSql|string $field
      *
      * @return $this
      */
     protected function _like($field, string $match = '', string $type = 'AND ', string $side = 'both', string $not = '', ?bool $escape = null, bool $insensitiveSearch = false, string $clause = 'QBWhere')
     {
-        if (! is_array($field)) {
-            $field = [$field => $match];
-        }
-
         $escape = is_bool($escape) ? $escape : $this->db->protectIdentifiers;
         $side   = strtolower($side);
 
-        foreach ($field as $k => $v) {
+        if ($field instanceof RawSql) {
+            $k                 = (string) $field;
+            $v                 = $match;
+            $insensitiveSearch = false;
+
+            $prefix = empty($this->{$clause}) ? $this->groupGetType('') : $this->groupGetType($type);
+
+            if ($side === 'none') {
+                $bind = $this->setBind($field->getBindingKey(), $v, $escape);
+            } elseif ($side === 'before') {
+                $bind = $this->setBind($field->getBindingKey(), "%{$v}", $escape);
+            } elseif ($side === 'after') {
+                $bind = $this->setBind($field->getBindingKey(), "{$v}%", $escape);
+            } else {
+                $bind = $this->setBind($field->getBindingKey(), "%{$v}%", $escape);
+            }
+
+            $likeStatement = $this->_like_statement($prefix, $k, $not, $bind, $insensitiveSearch);
+
+            // some platforms require an escape sequence definition for LIKE wildcards
+            if ($escape === true && $this->db->likeEscapeStr !== '') {
+                $likeStatement .= sprintf($this->db->likeEscapeStr, $this->db->likeEscapeChar);
+            }
+
+            $this->{$clause}[] = [
+                'condition' => $field->with($likeStatement),
+                'escape'    => $escape,
+            ];
+
+            return $this;
+        }
+
+        if (! is_array($field)) {
+            $keyValue = [$field => $match];
+        } else {
+            $keyValue = $field;
+        }
+
+        foreach ($keyValue as $k => $v) {
             if ($insensitiveSearch === true) {
                 $v = strtolower($v);
             }
@@ -2430,6 +2464,12 @@ protected function compileWhereHaving(string $qbKey): string
                     continue;
                 }
 
+                if ($qbkey['condition'] instanceof RawSql) {
+                    $qbkey = $qbkey['condition'];
+
+                    continue;
+                }
+
                 if ($qbkey['escape'] === false) {
                     $qbkey = $qbkey['condition'];
 
diff --git a/tests/system/Database/Builder/LikeTest.php b/tests/system/Database/Builder/LikeTest.php
index 2d81db2b90fa..22afc5c7549c 100644
--- a/tests/system/Database/Builder/LikeTest.php
+++ b/tests/system/Database/Builder/LikeTest.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 namespace CodeIgniter\Database\Builder;
 
 use CodeIgniter\Database\BaseBuilder;
+use CodeIgniter\Database\RawSql;
 use CodeIgniter\Test\CIUnitTestCase;
 use CodeIgniter\Test\Mock\MockConnection;
 
@@ -47,6 +48,29 @@ public function testSimpleLike()
         $this->assertSame($expectedBinds, $builder->getBinds());
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @see https://github.com/codeigniter4/CodeIgniter4/issues/3970
+     */
+    public function testLikeWithRawSql()
+    {
+        $builder = new BaseBuilder('users', $this->db);
+
+        $sql    = "concat(users.name, ' ', IF(users.surname IS NULL or users.surname = '', '', users.surname))";
+        $rawSql = new RawSql($sql);
+        $builder->like($rawSql, 'value', 'both');
+
+        $expectedSQL   = "SELECT * FROM \"users\" WHERE  {$sql}  LIKE '%value%' ESCAPE '!' ";
+        $expectedBinds = [
+            $rawSql->getBindingKey() => [
+                '%value%',
+                true,
+            ],
+        ];
+
+        $this->assertSame($expectedSQL, str_replace("\n", ' ', $builder->getCompiledSelect()));
+        $this->assertSame($expectedBinds, $builder->getBinds());
+    }
+
     public function testLikeNoSide()
     {
         $builder = new BaseBuilder('job', $this->db);