HSK 1 · Article · 231 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-say-i-like-and-i-dont-like-in-chinese

我不太喜欢

How to say I like and I don't like in Chinese

Name: ________________ Date: ________

用yòng中文zhōngwén说shuō“我wǒ喜欢xǐhuān”，一点儿yìdiǎnr也yě不bù难nán：我wǒ喜欢xǐhuān猫māo。我wǒ喜欢xǐhuān喝茶hēchá。

在zài“喜欢xǐhuān”前边qiánbian说shuō一个yígè“不bù”，是shì“不bù喜欢xǐhuān”：我wǒ不bù喜欢xǐhuān猫māo。我wǒ不bù喜欢xǐhuān喝茶hēchá。

很hěn喜欢xǐhuān很hěn喜欢xǐhuān，可以kéyǐ说shuō“非常fēicháng喜欢xǐhuān”。不是búshì很hěn喜欢xǐhuān，可以kéyǐ说shuō“不太bútài喜欢xǐhuān”。很hěn多duō中国zhōngguó人rén不bù说shuō“不bù喜欢xǐhuān”，说shuō“不太bútài喜欢xǐhuān”，也yě说shuō“还hái可以kéyǐ”。

郑zhèng先生xiānsheng第一次dìyīcì去qù女朋友nǚpéngyou家jiā吃饭chīfàn。桌子zhuōzi上shàng有yǒu很hěn多duō菜cài。

她tā妈妈māma问wèn：“你nǐ喜欢xǐhuān吃chī饺子jiǎozi吗ma？”

“喜欢xǐhuān！我wǒ非常fēicháng喜欢xǐhuān！”

“这zhè个gè菜cài呢ne？”

郑zhèng先生xiānsheng吃chī了le一口yìkǒu。他tā不太bútài喜欢xǐhuān，说shuō：“这zhè个gè菜cài还hái可以kéyǐ。”

她tā妈妈māma看kàn了le看kàn他tā：“还hái可以kéyǐ？那nà就是jiùshì不太bútài喜欢xǐhuān吧ba？”

郑zhèng先生xiānsheng不bù知道zhīdào说shuō什么shénme好hǎo。

妈妈māma又yòu问wèn：“那nà我wǒ女儿nǚ’ér呢ne？你nǐ喜欢xǐhuān吗ma？”

“非常fēicháng非常fēicháng喜欢xǐhuān！”

妈妈māma笑xiào了le：“好hǎo。这zhè个gè菜cài，是shì她tā做zuò的de。”

郑zhèng先生xiānsheng看kàn了le看kàn女朋友nǚpéngyou，吃chī了le一yí大口dàkǒu：“我wǒ，我wǒ非常fēicháng喜欢xǐhuān！”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
中文zhōngwénChinese (language)
说shuōto speak; to say
喜欢xǐhuānto like; to be fond of
猫māocat
很hěnvery; quite
多duōmany; much
中国zhōngguóChina
人rénperson; people
先生xiānshengMr.; sir; gentleman
去qùto go
女朋友nǚpéngyougirlfriend
家jiāhome; family

English (for the teacher)

Saying "I like" in Chinese isn't hard at all: I like cats. I like drinking tea.

Say 不 in front of 喜欢 and you get "don't like": I don't like cats. I don't like drinking tea.

If you like something a lot, you can say "fēicháng xǐhuan", like it very much. If you don't like it much, you can say "bú tài xǐhuan", don't really like it. Many Chinese people don't say "bù xǐhuan"; they say "bú tài xǐhuan", or "hái kěyǐ", it's OK.

Mr Zheng goes to his girlfriend's home for dinner for the first time. There are lots of dishes on the table.

Her mum asks, "Do you like dumplings?"

"Yes! I love them!"

"And this dish?"

Mr Zheng takes a bite. He doesn't really like it, and says, "This dish is OK."

Her mum looks at him. "OK?" "So you don't really like it, then?"

Mr Zheng doesn't know what to say.

Then her mum asks, "And my daughter? Do you like her?"

"Very, very much!"

Her mum smiles. "Good. She made this dish."

Mr Zheng looks at his girlfriend and takes a big bite. "I, I love it!"