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noun / verb HSK 3
Traditional 愛好
ài hào
hobby · interest · to like · to be fond of

Meaning

爱好 refers to activities or subjects that someone enjoys doing in their free time. As a noun, it means 'hobby' or 'interest.' As a verb, it means 'to like' or 'to be fond of' something, though this usage is less common in modern spoken Chinese. The word combines 爱 (to love) and 好 (good/to like), literally meaning 'love-good.'

Usage

Most commonly used as a noun when discussing hobbies and personal interests. Often appears in introductions, interviews, and casual conversations. Common patterns include '我的爱好是...' (my hobby is...) and '有什么爱好' (what hobbies do you have). The verb usage is more formal or literary.

Examples

  1. 01
    你平时有什么爱好？
    Nǐ píng shí yǒu shén me ài hào?
    What hobbies do you have in your spare time?
  2. 02
    我的爱好是看书和旅游。
    Wǒ de ài hào shì kàn shū hé lǚ yóu.
    My hobbies are reading and traveling.

Characters

Measure words

  • 个gè一个爱好
  • 种zhǒng很多种爱好

Common collocations

  • 个人爱好
    gè rén ài hào
    personal hobby
  • 培养爱好
    péi yǎng ài hào
    to cultivate a hobby
  • 业余爱好
    yè yú ài hào
    hobby, pastime (literally: spare time hobby)
  • 有什么爱好
    yǒu shén me ài hào
    what hobbies do you have

Antonyms

Origin

Compound word combining 爱 (love) and 好 (to like). Note that 好 here uses the fourth tone (hào) meaning 'to like,' rather than the third tone (hǎo) meaning 'good.'

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