Chinese word

爱好

Pronunciation

Pinyinài hào

Meaning

  • nounhobby

Example

我最大的爱好是看书。wǒ zuì dà de ài hào shì kàn shū

My biggest hobby is reading.

Illustration for 爱好 (hobby)

More examples

你有什么爱好？nǐ yǒu shén me ài hào

What hobbies do you have?

Core concept

A personal favorite that stays important over time, often taking the form of an activity done regularly.

Common phrases

  • 最大的爱好zuì dà de ài hào

    biggest hobby

  • 有什么爱好yǒu shén me ài hào

    what hobbies

Similar words

兴趣xìng qù: A wish to learn about or try something because it seems interesting.

Definition in Chinese

个人长期喜欢并经常参加的活动或偏好。gè rén cháng qī xǐ huān bìng jīng cháng cān jiā de huó dòng huò piān hào

Word origin

爱好 (àihào, "hobby") combines 爱 (ài, "love") + 好 (hào, "like"), giving a compact image of a preference strong enough to become a regular part of life.

Usage tips

  • Chinese can use this word for both a regular pastime and a settled preference, so a favorite kind of music can fit it as well as an activity.

Other meanings

  • interestnoun
  • likingnoun
  • preferencenoun

Related words

  • 兴趣爱好xìng qù ài hàohobbies and interestsnoun

Word lists with this word