How to express likes and dislikes in Hindi

Learning to share what you enjoy or dislike in another language adds colour to every conversation. Hindi offers a generous set of words for this purpose. For English speakers in Sydney or Melbourne who often chat with Australia's South Asian community, picking up a few phrases turns a polite exchange into a real one.

Hindi preferences differ from English. Where English uses one verb form regardless of topic, Hindi shifts based on gender, tense, and the activity. Spotting these patterns early saves endless memorising.

This guide walks through the most useful expressions, the grammar behind them, and small cultural notes. Examples appear in transliteration alongside Devanagari so you can practise reading and speaking right away.

Core verbs पसंद and नापसंद

The pair every beginner meets first is पसंद (pasand) and नापसंद (naapasand), meaning "like" and "dislike". They behave like nouns, which is why "को पसंद है" (ko pasand hai) translates as "is liked to". A typical line reads "मुझे चाय पसंद है" (mujhe chai pasand hai), meaning "I like tea".

Swap पसंद for नापसंद to express dislike. "मुझे चाय नापसंद है" gives a straightforward aversion. Both forms cover people, places, food, and abstract ideas with equal ease.

You will hear पसंदीदा (pasandida) for "favourite" in Melbourne's Indian dining circles. "मेरा पसंदीदा खाना बटर चिकन है" turns a simple like into a clear favourite.

Comparing two preferences

When choosing between two options, Hindi uses the comparative "ज्यादा पसंद है" (zyada pasand hai). You will hear this while ordering at Indian sweet shops in Sydney's Harris Park or debating cricket teams.

The full pattern is "X को Y से ज्यादा पसंद है" (X ko Y se zyada pasand hai). "मुझे बॉलीवुड को हॉलीवुड से ज्यादा पसंद है" reads as "I like Bollywood more than Hollywood". Reversing the order swaps the preference.

If both options appeal equally, use "बराबर" (barabar) for "equally". "X और Y दोनों बराबर पसंद हैं" works when both choices genuinely attract.

Talking about activities

Activities need a different construction because the action itself does not appear in the sentence. Hindi uses "X को Y करना पसंद है" (X ko Y karna pasand hai) for "X likes doing Y". Swap पसंद for नापसंद to express dislike of the activity.

"मुझे तैरना पसंद है" (mujhe tairna pasand hai) suits anyone spending weekends at Bondi Beach. "उसे जल्दी उठना नापसंद है" means "She dislikes waking up early".

Replace पसंद with "अच्छा लगता है" (achha lagta hai) for heartfelt enjoyment. "मुझे संगीत सुनना अच्छा लगता है" shifts from a mild preference to genuine pleasure. Studying sample dialogues on Hindi Vyanjan helps these patterns stick faster than rote lists.

Describing food preferences

Food conversations come up constantly at Indian grocers in Parramatta or restaurants in Brisbane's Sunnybank, and taste vocabulary adds the real texture.

"स्वादिष्ट" (swadisht) covers anything delicious, "बेस्वाद" (beswaad) tasteless food. "खट्टा" (khatta) describes sour, "मीठा" (meetha) sweet, "तीखा" (teekha) spicy. Australians who love bold flavours can say "मुझे तीखा खाना बहुत पसंद है" to declare the preference openly.

Using अच्छा and बुरा casually

Two adjectives do heavy lifting in everyday speech: "अच्छा" (achha) for good, and "बुरा" (bura) for bad. They slot into statements about almost anything without new verb structures.

"यह फिल्म अच्छी है" means "This film is good", while "यह बुरा अनुभव था" means "That was a bad experience". Note how अच्छी takes the feminine form because फिल्म is feminine, while अच्छा stays masculine for अनुभव.

Add "बहुत" for "very" or "बिल्कुल" for "absolutely". During a cricket watch party in Perth, "यह शॉट बिल्कुल बुरा था" makes your critique land clearly. Personal essays in the voice of Country Girl City Life lean on equally simple adjectives to capture honest, lived feelings.

Polite alternatives for formal settings

Casual expressions sometimes feel blunt in professional or older company. Hindi offers softer alternatives that respect the listener, useful in offices or with elders.

Replace direct पसंद with "मुझे यह उचित लगता है" (mujhe yah uchit lagta hai) for "I find this appropriate". Frame concerns with "मुझे आपत्ति है" (mujhe aapati hai), which politely registers a complaint without aggression.

When appreciating hospitality at a Diwali gathering in your community, "आपकी दावत बहुत अच्छी थी" combines अच्छा with the respectful "आपकी" form. These patterns show respect for hierarchy that many Australians are still learning to navigate.

Idioms and figurative expressions

Once the basics feel stable, idioms add personality to your speech. "दिल को छू लेना" (dil ko chhoo lena) describes something that touched your heart, while "पेट में चूहे कूदना" (pet mein choohe koodna) captures nervous dislike, literally "mice jumping in the stomach".

For strong dislike, "न घर का न घाट का" (na ghar ka na ghaat ka) is a colourful saying for something useless. "मन भर कर" (man bhar kar) means wholeheartedly, useful for deep affection.

These idioms appear often in Bollywood songs and family conversations, giving learners an authentic edge when chatting with relatives in Adelaide. A closer study of ceremonial archives shows how communities preserve the language surrounding pivotal moments.

Ready phrases for daily situations

Keep this short list handy for real conversations:

• "मुझे यह बहुत पसंद है" (I really like this)
• "मुझे यह बिल्कुल नापसंद है" (I dislike this completely)
• "मुझे अभी ठीक नहीं लग रहा" (I am not feeling well)
• "यह मुझे अच्छा लगता है" (This feels good to me)
• "इसकी ज़रूरत नहीं है" (I do not need this)
• "मैं इसे बदलना चाहूँगा" (I would like to change this)

Practise out loud with a colleague at your Brisbane office or a tutor online. Before committing to any platform that stores study progress, take a moment to review its privacy policy so you know how your data is handled, then continue practising with confidence.