喜欢【xǐhuan】

喜欢 means "to like". It takes either a noun or a verb phrase as its object.

Nothing goes between 喜欢 and the verb. English needs "to read" or "reading"; after 喜欢 the bare verb follows straight on.

Negation

The negative is bù不xǐ huan喜欢. Liking is a state, not an event, so it takes 不 rather than 没.

• × 我没喜欢吃辣的 → 我不喜欢吃辣的

Degree words

hěn很, fēi cháng非常 and zuì最 go in front of 喜欢, which most action verbs do not allow. 最喜欢的 + noun is how you say "favourite".

Questions

Ask with a question word, or with the A-not-A form xǐ喜bù不xǐ huan喜欢, which repeats only the first syllable.

喜欢 or 爱

ài爱 is stronger. With a person it means "love". Before a verb, 爱 + verb is an everyday way to say someone loves doing something.