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Daily lessons · Day 16 of 90

What you like

Preferences and opinions

Opinions are where a conversation stops being an interview. 喜欢 does most of the work, and the useful part of today is the handful of ways to be less than enthusiastic without being rude.

Liking things

喜欢 is followed by a noun or by another verb, with nothing in between.

我喜欢喝茶wǒ xǐhuan hē cháI like drinking teaA second verb follows directly. No to and no ing.
我很喜欢中国菜wǒ hěn xǐhuan Zhōngguó càiI really like Chinese food很 here strengthens it rather than just linking.
我不喜欢咖啡wǒ bù xǐhuan kāfēiI don't like coffee
我最喜欢这个wǒ zuì xǐhuan zhègethis is my favourite最 is most, and there is no separate word for favourite.

Why it works

Chinese verbs never change shape, so a verb after 喜欢 simply follows it: 喜欢喝茶, like drink tea. There is no infinitive to build and no gerund to choose between, which is why this is one of the places Chinese is genuinely easier than English rather than just different.

Being less than keen

Saying a flat no is usually softened, and 不太 is the standard way.

我不太喜欢辣的wǒ bú tài xǐhuan là deI'm not that keen on spicy food不太 is not very, and it is much gentler than 不.
还不错hái búcuònot bad, quite goodWarmer than it looks in English.
马马虎虎mǎmǎhūhūso soLiterally horse horse tiger tiger.
都可以dōu kěyǐeither is fine

Why it works

不太 is the everyday hedge, and it is worth using. A bare 我不喜欢 lands harder in Chinese than I don't like it does in English, because there is no tone of voice built into the words to soften it. Notice also that 不 rises to bú before 太, following the rule from day 2.

Being asked

Two ways to ask, and two ways to avoid choosing.

你喜欢什么nǐ xǐhuan shénmewhat do you like?
你喜欢不喜欢nǐ xǐhuan bù xǐhuando you like it or not?The verb, 不, the verb again. A yes or no question without 吗.
随便suíbiànwhatever you likeVery common when choosing a restaurant.
我都喜欢wǒ dōu xǐhuanI like them all

Why it works

The verb 不 verb pattern is a second way to ask a yes or no question, alongside 吗 from day 8. They mean the same thing, though the 不 version can sound slightly more insistent, as if you are pressing for a straight answer. You cannot use both at once.

随便 is a trap and a courtesy

Asked where to eat, people very often say 随便, whatever. It is politeness, not indifference: nobody wants to impose a choice on the group. Answering 随便 yourself is perfectly acceptable, but if everyone does it the decision never gets made, and the person who eventually picks somewhere is doing the group a favour.

Carried over from earlier days

Say each one out loud before you look at the English.

我常常跑步wǒ chángcháng pǎobùI often go running
你是哪国人nǐ shì nǎ guó rénwhere are you from?
我的书wǒ de shūmy book
一共多少钱yígòng duōshao qiánhow much altogether?

Today’s words 12

我喜欢喝茶wǒ xǐhuan hē cháI like drinking tea
我很喜欢中国菜wǒ hěn xǐhuan Zhōngguó càiI really like Chinese food
我不喜欢咖啡wǒ bù xǐhuan kāfēiI don't like coffee
我最喜欢这个wǒ zuì xǐhuan zhègethis is my favourite
我不太喜欢辣的wǒ bú tài xǐhuan là deI'm not that keen on spicy food
还不错hái búcuònot bad, quite good
马马虎虎mǎmǎhūhūso so
都可以dōu kěyǐeither is fine
你喜欢什么nǐ xǐhuan shénmewhat do you like?
你喜欢不喜欢nǐ xǐhuan bù xǐhuando you like it or not?
随便suíbiànwhatever you like
我都喜欢wǒ dōu xǐhuanI like them all

Check yourself

8 questions. Get 6 right to finish the day.

  1. How do you say I like drinking tea?

    • 我喜欢喝茶 wǒ xǐhuan hē chá
    • 我喜欢的喝茶 wǒ xǐhuan de hē chá
    • 我喝茶喜欢 wǒ hē chá xǐhuan
    • 我喜欢是喝茶 wǒ xǐhuan shì hē chá
    Show the answer

    我喜欢喝茶 wǒ xǐhuan hē chá A second verb follows 喜欢 directly, with nothing in between.

  2. Type I'm not that keen on spicy food in pinyin.

    Show the answer

    wǒ bú tài xǐhuan là de 不太 is the standard softener, and 不 rises before 太.

  3. What does 马马虎虎 mean?

    • so so
    • very good
    • terrible
    • I don't know
    Show the answer

    so so Literally horse horse tiger tiger.

  4. 你喜欢不喜欢 is which kind of question?

    • a yes or no question, without 吗
    • a choice between two things
    • a question about quantity
    • a polite command
    Show the answer

    a yes or no question, without 吗 Verb, 不, verb. You cannot add 吗 as well.

  5. Why is 我不太喜欢 better than 我不喜欢 in most conversations?

    • Chinese has no tone of voice built into the words, so the bare form lands harder
    • 不喜欢 is grammatically wrong
    • 不太 is more formal
    • 不喜欢 means the opposite
    Show the answer

    Chinese has no tone of voice built into the words, so the bare form lands harder 不太 is the everyday hedge.

  6. How do you say this is my favourite?

    • 我最喜欢这个 wǒ zuì xǐhuan zhège
    • 这个是我喜欢 zhège shì wǒ xǐhuan
    • 我喜欢最这个 wǒ xǐhuan zuì zhège
    • 最我喜欢这个 zuì wǒ xǐhuan zhège
    Show the answer

    我最喜欢这个 wǒ zuì xǐhuan zhège 最 goes in front of the verb. There is no separate word for favourite.

  7. Someone answers 随便 when you ask where to eat. What do they mean?

    • they are being polite and leaving the choice to you
    • they do not want to go
    • they have already eaten
    • they dislike all the options
    Show the answer

    they are being polite and leaving the choice to you Nobody wants to impose a choice on the group.

  8. Which means either is fine?

    • 都可以 dōu kěyǐ
    • 不可以 bù kěyǐ
    • 可以吗 kěyǐ ma
    • 不太好 bú tài hǎo
    Show the answer

    都可以 dōu kěyǐ 都 is all or both, and 可以 is fine or allowed.

Writing practice optional

Every character from today, in the order it came up. Watch it, trace it, then write it from memory.

Press Watch to see the stroke order.

Stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi via Hanzi Writer, Arphic Public License.

Character 1 of 30

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This lesson is written by an English speaker who learned Mandarin as a second language, and it is waiting on a check by a native speaker. If you spot something off, please tell us and we will fix it.