Level Up Your English Vocabulary. Learn Different Ways to Say I Like/I Don't Like.

• Hi! Happy first day of fall! I got you a tasty drink.

Oh, what's this? 

It's a special pumpkin latte. I'm sorry, I don't like it.

Well, let's go buy a different one. 

No, thanks I don't like coffee Well, let's just go for a walk.

I don't like walking. Maybe  we could sit somewhere? 

• Sure, there is a great  cafe just around the corner. 

• I'm sorry; I don't like cafes.  There's a lot of noise, you know.

You don’t like walking. You don't  like cafes. So what do you like to do?

I like watching movies I like hanging out with my friends 

I like swimming I like playing video games I like listening to music

Can she say anything else instead of " I like? "

Hello, everyone, welcome back to my channel!  I’m Kate your English teacher and today I'm  

so excited because we're diving into a topic:  "Different Ways to Say 'I Like' and 'I Don't  

Like'." I will give you a lot of useful  vocabulary with plenty of examples today  

so if you don’t want to sound boring, if you  don’t want to repeat the same words all the time  

and you want to speak fluent and confident  English, please go on watching this video. 

It’s completely fine to say ‘I like’ and I don’t  like, but if you say this all the time that  

probably means that your English level is low. First of all, let’s start with some common  

alternatives to the phrase "I like". I have  divided this lesson into three levels – Beginner,  

Intermediate and Advanced, so you will see  how to take your English to the next level. 

A1 (Beginner): Now let’s  start with the Beginner Level. 

Instead of saying I like you can say I enjoy reading 

I love dancing I love or I enjoy 

But there’s an important thing. If you say I love/like/enjoy then you can use  

a noun or a verb + ing or the infinitive: Like I love books (a noun) 

Or I love reading books (verb+ing) Or I love to read books (infinitive) Now  

let’s move on to the next level. A2 (Elementary): 

As an elementary level  student you can say - I adore 

I adore watching movies When we talk about food,  

hobbies, sports, music instead of saying  I like, you can say - I'm a fan of 

I'm a fan of playing the guitar I'm a fan of Italian pasta 

I'm a fan of rock music You can also say - I'm fond of 

I'm fond of hiking in the mountains I'm fond of tropical islands 

I'm fond of jazz The next elementary phrase is I have a liking for 

I have a liking for cycling;  it's a great way to stay active. 

I have a liking for reading: it develops my brain. B1 (Intermediate): 

As an Intermediate student instead of  saying I like, you can say - I'm into 

I'm into classical music. I’m into  my work. I’m into learning languages. 

When you describing your hobby or  passion, you can say I'm keen on 

I'm keen on woodworking.  I’m keen on creating videos. 

You can also say - I'm crazy about I'm crazy about cooking. 

When you express your likes, you can  say - I find something very enjoyable. 

I find listening to music very enjoyable. I find diving very enjoyable. 

B2 (Upper-Intermediate): Now let’s learn some phrases  

for the upper intermediate level. If you want  to say that you’re enjoying a relaxing activity,  

you can use the expression: I take pleasure (in) I take pleasure in reading a  

good book on a rainy day You can also say - I have a preference for 

I have a preference for practicing  yoga; it gives me energy. 

Another great phrase is - I'm drawn to I'm drawn to learning different languages.  

I'm drawn to poetry writing.  I'm drawn to astrophysics. 

When you want to express your  personal interests, you can say - 

It’s my (kind of) thing:  Learning languages is my thing. 

Rock climbing is my kind of thing. Another great phrase is I have a soft  

spot for I have a soft spot for dogs,  but I can’t say the same about cats. 

Please pay attention to the preposition  FOR, because if you forget to say FOR the  

expression will not make any sense. I have a soft spot for roses.  

I have a soft spot for comedies You can also say - I'm hooked on,  

but be careful, this expression is informal. Do not say this in front of your teacher  

or boss. I'm hooked on surfing. I'm  hooked on watching 'Game of Thrones'.

C1 (Advanced): As an advanced student, you can say - It  

appeals to me. Growing exotic plants appeals to  me. Studying computer programming appeals to me 

Please mind the preposition here – appeals TO me You can also say - I have a passion for.  

I have a passion for photography When you used to dislike something but  

then you changed your mind, and you start loving  it, you can say - It grows on me. It’s an idiom.  

And in the Past Simple we say - it grew on me. I didn't think I'd like painting,  

but it really grows on me. I didn’t like the job at first,  

but eventually it grew on me. C2 (Proficient): 

The next advanced phrase is I'm really into I’m really into fitness. I go to the gym every  

morning and take yoga classes in the  evening. (honestly, it’s not about me) 

When you focus on a particular thing in life  and you really like it, you can say - I'm all  

about. I'm all about family. Spending time with  my loved ones is the most important thing to me. 

He's all about self-improvement.  He reads self-help books and  

constantly works on personal development. If you really, really like something or  

do something a lot, you can say I'm  addicted to. He's addicted to video  

games. He spends hours playing them every day. This phrase means you depend on something and  

it can sometimes be a problem because you  can't stop doing it even if you want to. 

She's addicted to social media. She can't  go a few minutes without checking her phone. 

As an advanced student Instead of saying I like  it you can also say - It’s right up my alley.  

This expression means that something  is a perfect fit for your interests. 

I've always been interested in science fiction  novels, so this book is right up my alley. 

Hope these alternatives can help you express your  likes in different ways, depending on the context. 

[vstavka] 1 - Hi! Happy first day of fall!  

I brought you a cup of pumpkin coffee. 2 - I'm sorry, I'm not fond of it. 

1 - Well, let's go buy a different one. 2 - No, thanks. I'm not a fan of coffee. 

1 - Well, let's just go for a walk. 2 - I'm not into walking. Maybe we  

just could sit somewhere? 1 - Sure, there is a great  

cafe just around the corner. 2 - I'm sorry, I'm not keen  

on cafes. There's a lot of noise, you know.

1 - You are not into walking. You‘re not  keen on cafes. So what do you enjoy doing?

2 – I’m crazy about watching movies. I have a soft spot for video games. 

I take pleasure in hanging out with my friends. 

I'm drawn to swimming. I'm into listening to music.

Now let’s talk about phrases you can use instead  of saying ‘I don’t like’ But before we do that,  

don't forget to hit that "Subscribe" button and  click that notification bell so you never miss  

out on any of my new videos. A1 (Beginner): 

As a beginner you can say - I don't like 

Or I hate I hate when people ask me the  

same question multiple times. A2 (Elementary): 

As a student of an elementary  level, you can say - I dislike 

I dislike wearing fancy outfits. Another way to express dislikes  

is to say - I'm not fond of I'm not fond of early mornings 

I'm not fond of crowded places I'm not fond of heavy traffic

B1 (Intermediate): As an intermediate  

student you can say - I really don't like This is a straightforward way to say you  

dislike something. For example: I really don't like broccoli;  

it tastes terrible to me. You can also say - I strongly  

dislike. I strongly dislike rude behavior. Another useful phrase you can use instead  

of I don’t like is - I'm not keen on When you have no interest in something,  

it's a more polite way to express  dislike. For example: I'm not keen  

on horror movies; they tend to scare me. You can also say - I have no interest in. I  

have no interest in science fiction films. I have no interest in crowded parties 

Another great expression is - I'm not into You can use it when you don’t like to do  

something, for example - I'm not into clubbing;  I'd rather stay at home in the evenings. 

B2 (Upper-Intermediate): Now we moved on to an Upper Intermediate level. 

Instead of saying – I don’t like – you  can say - I’m not interested in that. 

I’m not a big fan of it. I’m not crazy about it. 

When someone asks about your preferences or  hobbies; you can use these expressions. For  

example- I'm not interested in sports. I'm not a big fan of reality TV shows. 

I'm not crazy about fashion. When you're invited to an event or activity that  

you really don’t like, you can respond like this - Thanks for the invitation, but I'm  

not interested in that. Thank you for the offer,  

but I'm not a big fan of hiking. I'm not crazy about attending football matches.

Another great alternative to the  phrase I don’t like is I'm not drawn to 

You can use this phrase when you  talk about your dislikes in a career,  

hobbies or food preferences. I'm not drawn to  spicy food. I'm not drawn to extreme sports.

C1 (Advanced): Now let’s move on to the advanced section. 

The first phrase is - That’s not for me. Let’s  imagine You're offered some food you've never  

tried before, and You don't want to taste it. You can say - Thank you for offering,  

but this dish is not for me. You can also say - That’s not my thing.  

That's not my thing; I prefer familiar food. Instead of saying I don’t like it you can also  

say - I’ll pass. Sorry, I’ll pass. C2 (Proficient): 

Another phrase you can use instead  of I don’t like is I can't stand 

You can express your dislikes about the weather.  I can't stand hot weather; it's so uncomfortable. 

You can use this phrase when talking about music,  for example, I can't stand heavy metal music 

Talking about a specific  activity you can also say - 

I can't stand doing the dishes. I  can’t stand cleaning the bathroom. 

When you strongly dislike  something, you can say - I detest 

I detest cold and rainy days. I detest  country music; it's not my style. 

I detest public speaking; it makes me nervous. Another advanced alternative is - I loathe 

I loathe cruelty to animals. I loathe  the extreme heat; it's unbearable. 

I loathe rap music; the  lyrics are often offensive.

Now it’s time to practice what we’ve  learned. Write a comment below this video,  

5 sentences about things that you like and 5  things or activities you don’t like using the  

new expressions. I will read every comment and  if you do the task, I will give you feedback.

Thank you for watching this video! If you found  this lesson helpful please hit the like button,  

subscribe and share this video with your friend  

who is also learning English! I  love you, guys! See you next time!