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喜欢 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
喜欢xǐhuanto likeHSK 1, v, rank #96, Easy
喜欢xǐhuanto be fond ofHSK 1, v, rank #96, Easy
xǐhuan(xi3huan5) T3
  1. 1to like
  2. 2to be fond of
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March 24, 2026
喜欢(喜歡)xǐhuan(xi3huan5)

喜欢 (xǐ huān) means 'to like' or 'to be fond of.' It is commonly used to express personal preferences toward people, activities, or objects. This verb is essential for making conversations about likes and dislikes in everyday situations.

Frequency#96DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing likes and dislikes is important for building relationships. For example, when dining with others, sharing what you like to eat can foster a sense of camaraderie and openness.

Memory Tip

Imagine a happy (喜) person (欢) holding a sign that says 'I like this!' The happy face helps you remember 'like' and the characters together form '喜欢'. Visualize this person enjoying their favorite food or hobby to reinforce the meaning.

Meanings of 喜欢

xǐhuan(xi3huan5)
1to like
2to be fond of
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 喜欢

喜欢Simplified
喜歡Traditional
—Strokes
—Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#96Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L1HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 喜欢

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Podcast: 喜欢

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AI Study Notes for 喜欢

Quick Contrast

喜欢 (xǐhuān) vs 爱 (ài) — use 喜欢 for preferences or lighter affection, and 爱 for deep love or strong emotional attachment.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a happy (喜) person (欢) holding a sign that says 'I like this!' The happy face helps you remember 'like' and the characters together form '喜欢'. Visualize this person enjoying their favorite food or hobby to reinforce the meaning.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone; ensure the third tone on '喜' and the neutral tone on '欢' are pronounced correctly. In informal contexts, you might also hear '我喜欢' (wǒ xǐ huān) used frequently, but avoid using it in overly formal situations. Common collocations include '喜欢吃' (like to eat) and '喜欢听音乐' (like to listen to music).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 1 word, 喜欢 is foundational for expressing personal preferences. Focus on using it in simple sentences and pair it with nouns or verbs to expand your vocabulary. It connects with other HSK 1 words like '吃' (to eat) and '喝' (to drink) to form meaningful expressions.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing likes and dislikes is important for building relationships. For example, when dining with others, sharing what you like to eat can foster a sense of camaraderie and openness.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 喜欢 with 爱, mistakenly saying '我爱吃' (wǒ ài chī) when they mean 'I like to eat.' Instead, use '我喜欢吃' (wǒ xǐ huān chī). Additionally, some forget to use the correct tones, leading to misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 喜欢

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Component Characters

喜xǐto be fond of
HSK 112 strokes口
View full entry
欢huānjoyous
HSK 16 strokes欠
View full entry

Write 喜欢

喜
欢

Practice writing 喜欢 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 喜欢

喜欢 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

我不____看电视。

I don't like watching TV.

Example Sentences for 喜欢 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我们被骗得团团转，我可不喜欢这样。

wǒ mén bèi piàn dé tuán tuán zhuǎn， ， wǒ kě bù xǐ huān zhè。

We're being jerked around, and I don't like it.
2
我的确非常喜欢这里宁静幽雅、不受打扰的氛围。

wǒ de què fēi cháng xǐ huān zhè lǐ níng jìng yōu yǎ、 、 bù shòu dǎ rǎo de fēn。

I do very much appreciate the quietness and privacy here.
3
我本人喜欢电影、诗歌、外出吃饭和远途散步。

wǒ běn rén xǐ huān diàn yǐng、 、 shī、 gē 、 wài chū chī fàn hé yuǎn tú。

I myself enjoy cinema, poetry, eating out and long walks.
4
我尤其喜欢那种用螺钉固定在墙上的搁板。

wǒ yóu qí xǐ huān nà zhǒng yòng luó dīng gù dìng zài qiáng shàng de gē bǎn。

I particularly like the type of shelving that screws to the wall.
5
你是在干涉人们的宗教信仰，他们并不喜欢你的做法。

nǐ shì zài gān shè rén mén de zōng jiào xìn yǎng， ， tā mén bìng bù xǐ huān nǐ de zuò。

You are messing with people's religion and they don't like that.
6
用你最喜欢的香味熏香你的抽屉和衣柜。

yòng nǐ zuì xǐ huān de xiāng wèi xūn xiāng nǐ de chōu tì hé yī guì。

Scent your drawers and wardrobe with your favourite aromas.
7
你的解释比我以前学过的更让我喜欢。

nǐ de jiě shì bǐ wǒ yǐ qián xué guò de gēng ràng wǒ xǐ huān。

I like your interpretation better than the one I was taught.
8
“这不是我喜欢的音乐形式。”——“对，这不是。”

“ “ zhè bù shì wǒ xǐ huān de yīn lè xíng。”——“ shì， 。”——“ duì ，。”

"It's not one of my favourite forms of music." — "No."
9
想想工作中哪些部分是自己喜欢的，哪些是不喜欢的。

xiǎng xiǎng gōng zuò zhōng nǎ xiē bù fēn shì zì jǐ xǐ huān de， ， nǎ xiē shì bù xǐ huān。

Consider what your likes and dislikes are about your job.
10
她不喜欢的是我，而不是我的陈述。

tā bù xǐ huān de shì wǒ， ， ér bù shì wǒ de chén。

It was me she didn't like, not what I represented.

Cultural Notes for 喜欢

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, expressing likes and dislikes is important for building relationships. For example, when dining with others, sharing what you like to eat can foster a sense of camaraderie and openness.

Frequently Asked Questions about 喜欢

You can say '我喜欢咖啡' (wǒ xǐ huān kā fēi) meaning 'I like coffee.'