Likes and Dislikes

Question 1

Expressing Preferences:

Answer 1

Use the wordsgern, nicht gern, lieber,andam liebstenaftera verb to express preferences.

Ich spielegernFussball.
Iliketo play soccer.
Ich spielelieberHockey
Ipreferto play hockey.
Ich spieleam liebstenTennis.
Iliketo play tennismost of all.
Ich spielenicht gernBasketball.
Idon't liketo play Basketball.

Question 2

Haben

Answer 2

Or just usehabenwith any of the four phrases for general likes/dislikes.

Ich habe Fussball gern.
I like soccer.
Ich habe Julia am liebsten.
I like Julia most of all.
Ich habe das Restaurant nicht gern.
I don't like the restaurant.

Question 3

Gefallen

Answer 3

Gefallenis another verb used for expressing likes. It literally means to please. To use it correctly, you must switch the object in English with the subject in German. Das Zimmer is the object in English, but it becomes the subject in German. And the object in German (mir) would become the subject in English (I). It is always in the dative case in German.

German sentence | Literally | Translated
Das Zimmer gefällt mir. | The room pleases me. | I like the room.

Question 4

mögen

Answer 4

You could always just use the verbmögento express likes and dislikes, but another common way of saying that you like (doing) something ismacht spaß.

Was macht dir spaß?What do you like (to do)?
Fußball macht mir spaß.I like soccer.