How to say “I don't like it” in Chinese
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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
不 stays bù (falling) because 喜 is a third tone. A blunt 我不喜欢 is fine among friends; to a host, soften it to 我不太喜欢 (wǒ bú tài xǐhuan), 'I don't really like it', where 不 does flip to bú before the fourth-tone 太.
In a sentence
Wǒ bù xǐhuan chī xiāngcài.
I don't like coriander.
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "I don't like it" in Chinese?+
"I don't like it" in Mandarin Chinese is 我不喜欢, pronounced wǒ bù xǐhuan. 不 stays bù (falling) because 喜 is a third tone. A blunt 我不喜欢 is fine among friends; to a host, soften it to 我不太喜欢 (wǒ bú tài xǐhuan), 'I don't really like it', where 不 does flip to bú before the fourth-tone 太.
What does 我不喜欢 mean literally?+
我不喜欢 breaks down as 我 (wǒ) = I, 不 (bù) = not, 喜欢 (xǐhuan) = to like. Together it means "I don't like it".
How do I get the tones right in wǒ bù xǐhuan?+
不 stays bù (falling) because 喜 is a third tone. A blunt 我不喜欢 is fine among friends; to a host, soften it to 我不太喜欢 (wǒ bú tài xǐhuan), 'I don't really like it', where 不 does flip to bú before the fourth-tone 太.
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