Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒ hěn xǐhuan zhè wèi āyí, xiànzài yě chángcháng gěi tā dǎ diànhuà liáotiān. - I really like this aunt; now I also often call her to chat.

我喜欢这位阿姨 is grammatically possible, but in natural spoken Chinese, people often add 很 (or another degree word) before verbs/adjectives that describe feelings or states.
Here 我很喜欢这位阿姨 is best understood as:
- “I (really/quite) like this auntie”
- It doesn’t always sound as strong as English “I like her very much”; often it’s just a natural way to say “I like her”.

Compare:

我喜欢他。 – Correct, but can sound a bit bare or neutral, even sometimes like a factual statement.
我很喜欢他。 – Feels more natural and emotionally colored in daily speech.

So:

Yes, 很 can mean “very”.
But often, especially with feelings and qualities, it’s just a normal softener that makes the sentence sound natural.

Could I say “我非常喜欢这位阿姨” instead of “我很喜欢这位阿姨”? What’s the difference between 很 and 非常?

You can say it; the meaning is similar but the strength is different.

很喜欢 ≈ “(really / quite) like”
- Everyday, neutral, very common.
非常喜欢 ≈ “like very much / like extremely”
- Stronger, more emphatic, often used when you want to stress intensity.

Examples:

我很喜欢这家餐厅。 – I really like this restaurant.
我非常喜欢这家餐厅。 – I really really like this restaurant (emphasized).

In your sentence:

我很喜欢这位阿姨 feels warm and natural.
我非常喜欢这位阿姨 sounds more emphatic, maybe more emotional or formal, depending on context.

Why is 位 (wèi) used as the measure word for 阿姨 (āyí) instead of 个 (gè)? Can I say 这个阿姨?

位 is a polite measure word for people. It shows respect or politeness.

这位阿姨 – “this (respected) auntie/ma’am”, polite and respectful.
这个阿姨 – also grammatically correct; more casual/neutral.

Nuances:

位 is often used for:
- Strangers you address respectfully (waiters, staff, older people)
- People you respect: 这位老师 (this teacher), 那位先生 (that gentleman)
个 is the default, neutral measure word for people, fine in many situations, especially casual speech.

So yes, you can say 这个阿姨, but 这位阿姨 here highlights respect and affection, which fits the meaning well.

What exactly does 阿姨 (āyí) mean? Is it my real aunt?

阿姨 has both a literal family meaning and a broader social meaning:

Literal (family) meaning:
- Mother’s younger sister = “aunt”
- Sometimes used for other aunts, depending on the family.
Social / polite usage:
- Any adult woman around your mother’s age or older, especially if you know her or want to be polite.
- Children often call:
  - Mom’s female friends
  - Female neighbors
  - Friendly older women 阿姨, even if there is no blood relation.

In this sentence, 这位阿姨 is most likely:

A kindly older woman (like a neighbor, nanny, or family friend), not necessarily a biological aunt, but treated like one.

What’s the difference between 喜欢 (xǐhuan) and 爱 (ài) here? Could I say 我很爱这位阿姨?

You could say 我很爱这位阿姨, but it sounds stronger and can feel a bit unusual depending on context.

General cues:

喜欢:
- “to like / to be fond of”
- Can be used for:
  - People: 我很喜欢她。
  - Things: 我喜欢中国菜。
爱:
- “to love”
- Stronger emotion
- Common for:
  - Close family, romance: 我爱你。, 我爱我的家人。
  - Strong passions: 我爱音乐。

In this sentence:

我很喜欢这位阿姨 = “I really like this auntie” (warm, affectionate, natural).
我很爱这位阿姨 = “I really love this auntie” (sounds quite intense; okay if she raised you or is like a second mother).

For a non‑romantic, respectful, affectionate feeling toward an older woman, 喜欢 is the safer, most natural word.

Why is 现在 (xiànzài) placed before 也常常给她打电话? Could it go somewhere else?

现在 is a time word, and in Chinese, time expressions usually come early in the sentence, often right after the subject.

Typical order: > Subject + Time + (Other adverbs) + Verb + Object

So here:

我 (subject)
现在 (time: now)
也常常 (adverbs: also, often)
给她打电话聊天 (verb phrase: call her and chat)

You can sometimes move 现在, but natural, common positions are:

我现在也常常给她打电话聊天。 ✅ (most natural)
现在我也常常给她打电话聊天。 ✅ (also common; more emphasis on “now”)
我也常常现在给她打电话聊天。 ❌ (sounds wrong/awkward)

So: keep 现在 before the verb phrase, usually right after the subject or at the very beginning of the sentence.

How do 也 (yě) and 常常 (chángcháng) work together? Could the order be 常常也?

In this sentence, 也 and 常常 are both adverbs:

也 = “also”
常常 = “often”

Typical order: > Subject + Time + 也 + 常常 + Verb…

So:

我现在也常常给她打电话聊天。 ✅
“Now I also often call her to chat.”

也常常 is the natural sequence here.
Putting 常常 before 也 usually sounds off in this kind of sentence:

我现在常常也给她打电话聊天。 – can be used with a slightly different emphasis, but often feels clumsy for learners.
我现在也常常给她打电话聊天。 – standard, recommended.

As a learner, it’s safest to keep 也 closer to the subject and before other adverbs of frequency like 常常.

What’s the difference between 常 (cháng) and 常常 (chángcháng)? Can I replace 常常 with 常 here?

Yes, you can say 我现在也常给她打电话聊天, and it’s grammatical.

Nuances:

常常:
- Very common in spoken Chinese.
- Clearly means “often” or “frequently”.
- Slightly more colloquial.
常:
- Also means “often”.
- Feels a bit more concise / written in some contexts.
- In speech, 常常 is still more common.

In your sentence, both are acceptable:

我现在也常常给她打电话聊天。 – Very natural in speech.
我现在也常给她打电话聊天。 – Also correct, maybe a bit more compact.

For everyday spoken Mandarin, 常常 is a safe and natural choice.

Why do we need 给 (gěi) in 给她打电话聊天? Could I just say 打她电话?

In 给她打电话, 给 marks the indirect object / recipient: “call to her”.

Structure: > 给 + person + 打电话 = to call someone (on the phone)

So:

给她打电话 = “call her (on the phone)”
给妈妈打电话 = “call mom”

Alternatives:

给她打电话 ✅ very common
打电话给她 ✅ also correct; just a different word order
打她电话 🚫 unnatural / not normal modern usage for “call her”

So 给 is needed to clearly show who is receiving the call. Without 给, the pattern 打 + someone + 电话 is not standard modern Mandarin.

How does 打电话聊天 (dǎ diànhuà liáotiān) work? Are these two separate actions?

Yes, you have a serial verb structure: two actions happening in sequence, with one describing the purpose of the other.

打电话 = “to make a phone call”
聊天 = “to chat”

给她打电话聊天 literally: > “Give her a call, (and) chat (with her).”

This implies:

You’re not just calling for a quick message.
You call in order to chat, you have a conversation.

Other possibilities:

给她打电话 – just “call her”; could be short or long.
跟她聊天 – “chat with her”; doesn’t say how (in person, on the phone, online).
给她打电话聊天 – specifically: call her and have a chat.

So 打电话聊天 is a natural way to say “call (someone) to chat” in one verb phrase.

What does 聊天 (liáotiān) literally mean, and how is it used? Is it verb + object?

聊天 is a verb-object compound:

聊 = to chat / talk
天 (here) = “topics, things” (not literally “sky” in this word)

Together, 聊天 means “to chat” or “to have a chat”.

Usage:

Can act like a verb:
- 我们聊天。 – We chat.
- 他们在聊天。 – They are chatting.
Often appears with 跟 / 和 + person:
- 跟他聊天 – chat with him
- 和朋友聊天 – chat with friends

In your sentence:

给她打电话聊天 – “call her and chat (with her)”.
The “with her” is implied by the 给她打电话 part.

Could this sentence be shorter, like 我现在也常常给她打电话? Would it change the meaning much?

Yes, you can shorten it:

我现在也常常给她打电话。 ✅

Difference in nuance:

给她打电话 – focuses on the act of calling; maybe to inform, ask something, or chat.
给她打电话聊天 – makes clear that the purpose of calling is to chat, to have friendly conversations.

So the shorter version is fine, but the original sentence makes it clearer that these are friendly, chatty calls, not just quick practical calls.