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爱好 (ài hào) — (verb) to like, to be fond of; (noun) hobby, interest

Definition

爱好 works as both a verb ('to like, be fond of') and a noun ('hobby, interest'). As a verb it sounds slightly more committed than 喜欢; as a noun it's the everyday word for 'hobby,' unlike 兴趣 which leans toward 'interest/curiosity.'

verb
to liketo be fond of
noun
hobbyinterest
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 爱好。
    Wǒ ài hào yùn dòng.
    I like sports.
  • 爱好？
    Nǐ de ài hào shì shén me?
    What's your hobby?
  • 爱好。
    Tā de ài hào shì kàn shū.
    His hobby is reading books.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

爱àilike
好hǎolike

爱 and 好 both express liking, and together they mean fondness or a hobby.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 愛; 爱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
旡
旡jì愛ài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 愛, an older shape paired 心 (heart) with 旡 as its sound part; later a foot-like 夊 was added below. The simplified 爱 is a later variant that replaces the lower part with 友.

Open 爱 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

好 joins 女 (woman) and 子 (child), understood as a woman with a child, linked to goodness or affection.

Open 好 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 2HSK 2.0 Level 3Hobbies & Pastimes5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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