喜欢
The English phrase "like" is expressed in Mandarin as 喜欢.
喜欢 can be used as a verb followed directly by a noun or a verb.
Which one should you use?
喜欢 is used for general preferences or liking someone/something, whereas 爱 is used for a much stronger, more intense 'love'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 喜欢 is a stative verb and does not change its form for tense or person.
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese calligraphy, the character 喜 is often doubled as 囍 to create the 'Double Happiness' symbol used exclusively for weddings.
- In casual conversation, speakers frequently repeat the word as 喜欢喜欢 to soften the tone. This doubling makes the 'liking' sound more playful, cute, or less intense.
- When talking about food, a person might say they 'like' a dish by saying it 合我的胃口 (hé wǒ de wèikǒu), which literally translates to 'fits my appetite'.
Examples in context
- 我喜欢数学。I like mathematics.Tatoeba #708143 by CLARET, translation #435453 by CK
- 我喜欢阅读。I like reading.Tatoeba #2163112 by sadhen, translation #1276130 by CK
- 如果你喜欢。If you like.Tatoeba #3338922 by sadhen, translation #1745397 by kate15
- 我喜欢这本书。I like this book.
- 我的爱好是画画。My hobby is painting.
- 我对这个电影有好感。I have a good impression of this movie.
- 我挺喜欢吃辣的。I quite like eating spicy food.
- 564 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their food preferences at a restaurant.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你喜欢吃什么？Nǐ xǐhuān chī shénme?What do you like to eat?
- 俊杰 Junjie我喜欢吃面条。Wǒ xǐhuān chī miàntiáo.I like to eat noodles.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我也喜欢吃。Wǒ yě xǐhuān chī.I like eating them too.
- 俊杰 Junjie那我们点面条吧。Nà wǒmen diǎn miàntiáo ba.Then let's order noodles.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
