Traditional Chinese - Preferences

我喜歡___

Wǒ xǐhuān ___.

I like ___.

Meaning: 我喜歡___。 (Wǒ xǐhuān ___.) means “I like ___.”

When to use: Use it for people, things, places, food, or activities. It is a simple, neutral way to share a like.

Tip: Don’t add 是 (shì) after 我 (wǒ) here. Say 我喜歡咖啡。 (Wǒ xǐhuān kāfēi.), not 我是喜歡咖啡。 (Wǒ shì xǐhuān kāfēi.)

我很喜歡___。

Wǒ hěn xǐhuān ___.

I really like ___.

Meaning: 我很喜歡___。 (Wǒ hěn xǐhuān ___.) means “I really like ___.”

When to use: Use it when your feeling is stronger than just “I like it,” but still natural and not dramatic.

我不喜歡___。

Wǒ bù xǐhuān ___.

I don't like ___.

Meaning: 我不喜歡___。 (Wǒ bù xǐhuān ___.) means “I don’t like ___.”

When to use: Use it for a clear, direct dislike. It is neutral, but it can sound a little blunt depending on the situation.

Tip: Use 不 (bù) for the negative here: 我不喜歡___。 (Wǒ bù xǐhuān ___.)

我沒有很喜歡___。

Wǒ méiyǒu hěn xǐhuān ___.

I'm not a big fan of ___.

Meaning: 我沒有很喜歡___。 (Wǒ méiyǒu hěn xǐhuān ___.) means “I’m not a big fan of ___.”

When to use: Use this when you want to be softer or more polite than 我不喜歡___。 (Wǒ bù xǐhuān ___.)

Tip: This does not mean “I don’t like it a lot” word-for-word in English. In Taiwan Mandarin, it often politely means you don’t like it much.

我比較喜歡___。

Wǒ bǐjiào xǐhuān ___.

I prefer ___.

Meaning: 我比較喜歡___。 (Wǒ bǐjiào xǐhuān ___.) means “I prefer ___.”

When to use: Use it when choosing one option over another, even if the other option is only understood from context.

___跟___比起來，我比較喜歡前者。

___ gēn ___ bǐ qǐlái, wǒ bǐjiào xǐhuān qiánzhě.

I prefer ___ to ___.

Meaning: ___跟___比起來，我比較喜歡前者。 (___ gēn ___ bǐ qǐlái, wǒ bǐjiào xǐhuān qiánzhě.) means “I prefer ___ to ___.”

When to use: Use it to compare two options. 前者 (qiánzhě) means “the former,” so it refers to the first option you said.

Tip: 前者 (qiánzhě) means the first option. If you say 咖啡跟茶 (kāfēi gēn chá), 前者 (qiánzhě) is 咖啡 (kāfēi).

我最喜歡的___是___。

Wǒ zuì xǐhuān de ___ shì ___.

My favorite ___ is ___.

Meaning: 我最喜歡的___是___。 (Wǒ zuì xǐhuān de ___ shì ___.) means “My favorite ___ is ___.”

When to use: Use it for a category plus your favorite item: food, drink, movie, color, song, place, and more.

你喜歡___嗎？

Nǐ xǐhuān ___ ma?

Do you like ___?

Meaning: 你喜歡___嗎？ (Nǐ xǐhuān ___ ma?) means “Do you like ___?”

When to use: Use it to ask someone about a like, interest, food, activity, person, or place.

___跟___，你比較喜歡哪一個？

___ gēn ___, nǐ bǐjiào xǐhuān nǎ yí ge?

Which do you prefer, ___ or ___?

Meaning: ___跟___，你比較喜歡哪一個？ (___ gēn ___, nǐ bǐjiào xǐhuān nǎ yí ge?) means “Which do you prefer, ___ or ___?”

When to use: Use it when you want someone to choose between two options.

我很愛___

Wǒ hěn ài ___.

I love ___.

Meaning: 我很愛___。 (Wǒ hěn ài ___.) means “I love ___.”

When to use: Use it for strong liking. It works for people, food, activities, places, and things.

我滿喜歡___的。

Wǒ mǎn xǐhuān ___ de.

I enjoy ___.

Meaning: 我滿喜歡___的。 (Wǒ mǎn xǐhuān ___ de.) means “I enjoy ___” or “I quite like ___.”

When to use: Use this very common spoken Taiwan Mandarin phrase when you like something in a relaxed, friendly way.

我討厭___

Wǒ tǎoyàn ___.

I hate ___.

Meaning: 我討厭___。 (Wǒ tǎoyàn ___.) means “I hate ___.”

When to use: Use it for strong dislike. It is direct, so use it carefully with people or sensitive topics.

我受不了___。

Wǒ shòu bù liǎo ___.

I can't stand ___.

Meaning: 我受不了___。 (Wǒ shòu bù liǎo ___.) means “I can’t stand ___.”

When to use: Use it for intense dislike or annoyance. It is stronger than 我討厭___。 (Wǒ tǎoyàn ___.)