HSK Level 1

喜欢

xǐ huan

to like

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Example Sentences

我喜欢吃苹果。

wǒ xǐhuān chī píngguǒ.

I like to eat apples.

我喜欢看电影。

wǒ xǐhuān kàn diànyǐng.

I like to watch movies.

我喜欢听音乐。

wǒ xǐhuān tīng yīnyuè.

I like to listen to music.

Synonyms

(ài)

love

喜爱 (xǐhuān)

like

喜欢 (xǐhuān)

like

Antonyms

讨厌 (tǎoyàn)

hate

不喜欢 (bù xǐhuān)

dislike

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 喜欢 (xǐhuān) for "to like" is composed of two characters: 喜 (xǐ) and 欢 (huān). The character 喜 originally meant "to rejoice" or "to be happy", and it is composed of the radical 口 (kǒu) for "mouth" and the phonetic component 喜 (xǐ). The character 欢 originally meant "to be pleased" or "to be delighted", and it is composed of the radical 心 (xīn) for "heart" and the phonetic component 欢 (huān). When combined, the two characters 喜 and 欢 form the word 喜欢, which means "to like" or "to be fond of". The word 喜欢 can be used to express a variety of positive emotions, such as love, affection, and appreciation. It can also be used to express a preference for something, such as a food, a movie, or a song.