喜欢
xǐ huan
Like · trad. 喜歡
喜欢 (xǐhuān) is the most common and versatile way to say “like” in Mandarin Chinese. It expresses fondness or enjoyment for people, objects, activities, or ideas, and is appropriate in almost any everyday situation.
When to use it
Neutral. To express a stronger feeling of love or deep affection, use 爱 (ài). If you want to say “like” in the sense of “similar to” or “as if,” use 像 (xiàng). When someone asks if you like something, you can simply reply 喜欢 (xǐhuān, “I like it”) or 不喜欢 (bù xǐhuān, “I don't like it”).
How to pronounce it
Sounds roughly like “shee-HWAN.” The first syllable 喜 (xǐ) is a third tone, and 欢 (huān) is a first tone. The third tone here is often pronounced as a half-third tone before a first tone, so it's a quick dip and rise.
Other ways to say it
- 爱àilove / like very much
- 爱好ài hàohobby / to like (as a hobby)
- 喜欢吗？xǐ huan ma ？do you like it? (question)
Examples
我喜欢吃苹果。
wǒ xǐ huan chī píng guǒ 。
I like to eat apples.
你喜欢他吗？
nǐ xǐ huan tā ma ？
Do you like him/her?
我很喜欢学中文。
wǒ hěn xǐ huan xué zhōng wén 。
I really like learning Chinese.
Pro tip: Remember that 喜欢 is for expressing fondness or enjoyment. For 'similar to' or 'as if,' use 像 (xiàng). Also, you can directly follow 喜欢 with a verb to express liking an activity, like 喜欢唱歌 (xǐhuān chànggē, 'like singing').
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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