我喜欢冰淇淋
wǒ xǐhuan bīngqílín
The English phrase "I like ice cream" is translated into Chinese as 我喜欢冰淇淋 (wǒ xǐhuan bīngqílín).
This phrase is used to express a personal preference for ice cream.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 我 (I/me), 喜欢 (to like) and 冰淇淋 (ice cream).
Which one should you use?
The variant 冰激凌 is a common alternative spelling for ice cream used in mainland China. You may also use 我喜欢吃冰淇淋。 to specifically say "I like to eat ice cream."
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, spoken in Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, you would say 我鍾意食雪糕。 to mean "I like to eat ice cream."
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ xǐhuan bīngqílín
Did you know?
- In Cantonese, the term for ice cream is 雪糕, which literally translates to 'snow cake'.
- The word 冰淇淋 is a phonetic loanword, meaning the characters were chosen specifically to mimic the English sound of 'ice cream' rather than to describe the dessert.
- The alternative spelling 冰激凌 uses a character 激 that evokes the idea of 'excitement' or 'stimulation', adding a sensory layer to the word's appearance.
Examples in context
- 我喜欢冰淇淋。Wǒ xǐhuān bīngqílín.I like ice cream.
- 我喜欢冰淇淋，但不喜欢巧克力。Wǒ xǐhuān bīngqílín, dàn bù xǐhuān qiǎokèlì.I like ice cream, but I don't like chocolate.
