喜欢
xǐhuan
In Chinese, 'like' is expressed by the verb 喜欢, romanized as xǐhuan.
喜欢 is used to express finding something or someone pleasant or attractive. You can use it directly with nouns, such as people or objects or with verbs to indicate liking an activity. For example, 我喜欢你 means 'I like you'. To express that you 'really like' or 'extremely like' something, you can add the adverb 非常 before 喜欢. Additionally, the word 很 can be used to mean 'very'.
Which one should you use?
While 喜欢 means 'to like', the related term 爱 (ài) is a much stronger word meaning 'to love' and is used for deeper emotional connections. You may also encounter 爱好 (àihào), which is a noun meaning 'hobby'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say you 'do not like' something, place 不 before 喜欢 to form 不喜欢. If you want to indicate a change in state, such as having started to like something or now liking it, you can add the particle 了 after the verb to form 喜欢了.
How do you pronounce it?
xǐhuan
Did you know?
- In digital slang, Chinese users sometimes use the number '520' as a shorthand for 'I love you', which is a much more extreme version of 'liking' someone.
- The character 喜 in 喜欢 originally depicted a person wearing a special headdress used in ritual dances, symbolizing joy and celebration.
- In some Chinese social contexts, if you say you 'like' a person too strongly, it can be perceived as a direct confession of romantic interest rather than a casual compliment.
Examples in context
- 我喜欢数学。I like mathematics.This is useful for expressing an interest in a subject like mathematics.Tatoeba #708143 by CLARET, translation #435453 by CK
- 我喜欢阅读。I like reading.This shows how to express a liking for an activity such as reading.Tatoeba #2163112 by sadhen, translation #1276130 by CK
- 如果你喜欢。If you like.This demonstrates the use of the phrase in a conditional context.Tatoeba #3338922 by sadhen, translation #1745397 by kate15
- 我喜欢看电影。I like watching movies.
- 他喜欢喝茶。He likes drinking tea.
- 她非常喜欢吃巧克力。She really likes eating chocolate.
- 我喜欢这种音乐。I like this type of music.
- 你喜欢这个电影吗？Do you like this movie?
- 他有什么爱好？What are his hobbies?
- 564 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their favorite types of music.
- 浩然 Haoran你喜欢听什么音乐？Nǐ xǐhuān tīng shénme yīnyuè?What kind of music do you like listening to?
- 梓涵 Zihan我喜欢流行音乐。Wǒ xǐhuān liúxíng yīnyuè.I like pop music.
- 浩然 Haoran我也喜欢！Wǒ yě xǐhuān!I like it too!
- 梓涵 Zihan那太好了。Nà tài hǎo le.That is great.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
