愛好 / 爱好
àihào
The English word 'hobby' can be translated into Chinese using 愛好 / 爱好 (àihào). If unsure, use 愛好 / 爱好. Wiktionary also lists 嗜好 (shìhào) and 趣味 (qùwèi).
Meaning: activity done for enjoyment in spare time (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 愛好 / 爱好 | àihào |
| 嗜好 | shìhào |
| 趣味 | qùwèi |
To ask someone about their hobbies, you can use the phrase 你的爱好是什么？
Which one should you use?
爱好 is the most common and neutral way to say 'hobby' or 'interest' in everyday conversation. 嗜好 often carries a connotation of a strong, sometimes compulsive or unhealthy habit, such as a craving or an addiction, rather than just a casual pastime. 趣味 refers more to the quality of being interesting or amusing rather than the activity itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 爱好 can function as both a noun (hobby) and a verb (to be fond of/to love).
How do you pronounce it?
àihào
Did you know?
- In modern Chinese social media, people often use the term 坑 (meaning 'pit') to describe a hobby they have fallen into, as if they cannot climb out of their obsession.
- The character 好 in 爱好 is a compound of the characters for 'woman' and 'child', which traditionally symbolizes something 'good' or 'pleasing'.
- In traditional Chinese medicine, certain 'hobbies' or 'habits' (expressed via 嗜好) are analyzed as indicators of internal organ imbalances.
Examples in context
- 葵的嗜好是跳舞。Aoi's hobby is dancing.This sentence is useful for describing Aoi's hobby using 嗜好.Tatoeba #825121 by Martha, translation #28675 by CN
- 她的嗜好是集郵。Her hobby is collecting stamps.This sentence is useful for describing a hobby of collecting stamps using 嗜好.Tatoeba #833078 by Martha, translation #309392 by CH
- 我的嗜好是集郵。My hobby is stamp collecting.This sentence is useful for describing a personal hobby of stamp collecting using 嗜好.Tatoeba #834805 by Martha, translation #251146 by CK
- 我的兴趣是音乐。My hobby is music.
- 她的兴趣是阅读。Her hobby is reading.
- 我爱打篮球。I love playing basketball.
- 他爱画画。He loves painting.
- 你有什么兴趣爱好？What are your hobbies?
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hobby” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
