喜欢
to like; to enjoy
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HSK level
- Pinyin
- xǐhuan
- Part of speech
- verb
- Level
- HSK 1
- Strokes
- 18
- Register
- neutral
- In episodes
- 4
Stroke order for 喜欢
喜欢 is written with 18 strokes (喜: 12, 欢: 6). The animation replays automatically.
What does 喜欢 mean?
喜欢 (xǐhuan) is the standard verb for 'to like' or 'to enjoy' — applicable to people, objects, food, activities, and ideas.
It covers a wide range of affection: from 我喜欢咖啡 (I like coffee, light preference) to 我喜欢他 (I like him, which can mean romantic interest depending on tone). Key grammar features for English speakers: 喜欢 takes a noun OR a verb directly after it, no preposition needed. 'I like to swim' is 我喜欢游泳 — no 'to' particle. Negation uses 不: 不喜欢 (don't like).
To intensify, add 很 (很喜欢 'really like') or 非常 (非常喜欢 'extremely like'). The second syllable 欢 is pronounced in the NEUTRAL tone (xǐhuan), NOT xǐhuān — this is a common pinyin error. Romantic note: 喜欢 is milder than 爱 (ài, 'love'); confessing 我喜欢你 is the equivalent of 'I like you' rather than 'I love you'.
Character by character
Memory hook: Both characters mean 'joy / happiness' — to 'like' something is to find joy in it. 喜 + 欢 = joy-joy.
Hear 喜欢 in real episodes
喜欢 appears in 4 Fluentide podcast episodes at natural native speed. Each sentence plays at the easiest difficulty it exists in — switch it to hear the same moment at your level, with full pinyin and English throughout.
公司也喜欢这样的人。
Companies also like this kind of person.
Economist Bartleby Column: Andrew Palmer on the Hidden Costs of Workplace CuriosityBeginner
他喜欢这个工作。
He likes this job.
Former NFL Lineman John Urschel, Now an MIT Professor, Solves a 30-Year-Old Math Conjecture on Gaussian Elimination
很多人喜欢他。
Many people like him.
Lula Wins Brazil's Presidency at 80 — A Comeback Over Flávio Bolsonaro by 52% to 48%
这家人很喜欢这只猫。
The family likes this cat very much.
New Wild Cat Species Discovered in Bolivia After 100 Years — The Tilcayo Tiger Cat
Example sentences
我喜欢你。
Wǒ xǐhuan nǐ.
I like you.
spoken
你喜欢吃什么？
Nǐ xǐhuan chī shénme?
What do you like to eat?
spoken
他很喜欢看书。
Tā hěn xǐhuan kàn shū.
He really likes reading.
neutral
我不喜欢喝茶。
Wǒ bù xǐhuan hē chá.
I don't like drinking tea.
neutral
我最喜欢中国菜。
Wǒ zuì xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài.
I like Chinese food the most.
spoken
Common phrases with 喜欢
Synonyms
爱 means 'to love' and is much stronger than 喜欢. Use 喜欢 for preferences and mild affection; reserve 爱 for family, romantic partners, or strong passions. 我爱你 (I love you) is a major step beyond 我喜欢你.
喜爱 is more formal/written and slightly stronger than 喜欢 — often used for hobbies, art, public preferences. In everyday speech, stick with 喜欢.
Don't confuse 喜欢 with
Frequently asked questions
Related words from the same episodes
Acquire it by listening
Meet 喜欢 again — in real Chinese, at your level.
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