Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒ cóngxiǎo jiù xǐhuan zài gōngyuán lǐ sànbù. - I have liked taking walks in the park since I was little.

It’s a time expression that describes a period starting from childhood up to now (or to some later time in the context).
It’s commonly used before the verb phrase, often with 就:
- 我从小就喜欢读书。 – I’ve liked reading since I was little.
It can also have an understood subject from context:
- 从小就这样。 – (I / he / she) has been like this since childhood.

So yes, it’s a complete time phrase and is used very naturally in conversation and writing.

What is the function of 就 (jiù) in this sentence? Is it necessary?

In 我从小就喜欢在公园里散步, 就 adds a sense of earliness / expectedness / emphasis, roughly like:

“I already liked walking in parks from a young age.”
“I’ve liked it ever since I was little.”

Nuances:

Without 就:
- 我从小喜欢在公园里散步。
  This is still grammatical, but sounds more plain and slightly less natural; many native speakers would instinctively add 就 here.
With 就, you subtly highlight that as early as childhood this was already true.

So 就 is not strictly required for grammar, but it’s very natural and idiomatic in this time-expression pattern:
从小就 + Verb.

Why is there no Chinese word for “have” here, like “have liked” in English? How is the time/tense shown?

Chinese doesn’t mark tense the same way English does; it relies on:

Time words / phrases like 从小 (since childhood), 昨天 (yesterday), 明天 (tomorrow).
Aspect particles like 了, 过, 着, or just context.

In 我从小就喜欢在公园里散步:

从小 already shows the time span (from childhood until now).
喜欢 is a stative verb (“to like”), which often doesn’t need aspect markers to show duration.
There is no need to add a “have” equivalent.

So 我从小就喜欢… naturally means “I have liked … since I was little”, even though there is no “have” in Chinese. The time expression 从小 + the stative verb 喜欢 is enough to convey that ongoing, long-term feeling.

Why do we use both 在 (zài) and 里 (lǐ) in 在公园里散步? Isn’t that like saying “in in the park”?

They each have distinct roles:

在 is a preposition meaning “at / in / on”.
里 is a location noun meaning “inside / within.”

Together:

在 + 公园 + 里 = in the park / inside the park
Literally: “be located at park-inside.”

Compare:

在公园散步 – “to take a walk at the park.”
(Neutral, could be in or around the park.)
在公园里散步 – “to take a walk inside the park.”
(Emphasizes being inside the park area.)

So 在公园里散步 is not redundant; it’s a very natural pattern: 在 + place + 里/上/旁边… + Verb to express a specific type of location.

What’s the difference between 公园 (gōngyuán) and 公园里 (gōngyuán lǐ)?

公园 = “park” (the place itself, the concept).
公园里 = “in the park / inside the park.”

里 turns the noun into an “inside that place” location phrase.

Examples:

公园很大。 – The park is big.
(Talking about the park as an object.)
在公园里很安静。 – It’s very quiet in the park.
(Talking about what it’s like inside the park.)

In the original sentence, 在公园里散步 emphasizes the activity taking place within the park.

Can the word order be changed? For example, can I move 从小 or 在公园里 to another position?

Chinese word order is relatively fixed, but there is some flexibility. These are natural:

我从小就喜欢在公园里散步。 (original)
从小我就喜欢在公园里散步。
- Puts more emphasis on “since I was little” at the start.
我在公园里从小就喜欢散步。
- This sounds awkward and is usually not recommended; 从小就喜欢 is better kept together before the activity.

General pattern:

[Subject] + [Time] + 就 + [Attitude/State] + [Place] + [Action]

So the safest, most natural versions keep 从小就喜欢 together and put 在公园里 right before 散步.

What exactly does 散步 (sànbù) mean? Is it the same as just “to walk” (走路 zǒulù)?

散步 means “to take a walk / to go for a walk (for leisure or exercise)”.

It implies walking for relaxation, enjoyment, or light exercise, not just moving from A to B.

Compare:

走路 – to walk (as a way of moving, opposite of driving, riding, etc.)
- 我走路去学校。 – I walk to school.
散步 – to take a stroll, go for a walk (purpose is relaxation)
- 我吃完饭喜欢出去散步。 – I like to go for a walk after eating.

So 在公园里散步 more strongly suggests “strolling in the park for pleasure” than “walking in the park” in a purely functional sense.

Why don’t we see 了 (le) or 过 (guo) in this sentence? Could we add them, and would the meaning change?

了 and 过 are aspect particles:

了 often marks a completed action or change of state.
过 often marks experience (“have ever done”).

In 我从小就喜欢在公园里散步:

喜欢 is a state (“to like”), not a one-time action.
The time phrase 从小 already shows that this feeling started in the past and continues until now.
Adding 了 or 过 would sound unnatural here.

Compare:

我从小就喜欢在公园里散步。
– I have liked walking in the park since I was little. (Natural.)
我从小就喜欢过在公园里散步。
– Awkward/ungrammatical.
我从小就开始喜欢在公园里散步了。
– “From a young age I started to like walking in the park (and now I do).”
Here 开始 (to start) and 了 (change of state) create a different structure.

So for ongoing likes/dislikes, 喜欢 usually appears without 了 or 过.

How does 我从小就喜欢在公园里散步 compare with 我小时候就喜欢在公园里散步? Are 从小 and 小时候 the same?

They’re very close in meaning, but not identical:

从小就… – from childhood (onwards) …
Emphasizes the starting point and continuity up to now.
小时候就… – when (I) was little … already …
Focuses more on the period in the past, less explicitly on continuity.

Compare:

我从小就喜欢在公园里散步。
– I’ve liked walking in parks since I was little (and I still do).
我小时候就喜欢在公园里散步。
– When I was little, I already liked walking in parks.
(Continuity is implied by context, but not as strongly encoded.)

In everyday speech, both are common; 从小就… more strongly suggests “from then until now.”

Can I omit 我 (wǒ, “I”) in this sentence, like just say 从小就喜欢在公园里散步?

Yes, you can omit the subject if it’s already clear from context.

In a conversation where it’s obvious you’re talking about yourself,
从小就喜欢在公园里散步。
would likely be understood as “(I) have liked walking in parks since I was little.”

However:

In isolation, or in writing where clarity matters, the full sentence
我从小就喜欢在公园里散步。
is safer and more standard.
Spoken Chinese often drops pronouns when they’re obvious and redundant.

How are 喜欢 (xǐhuan) and 里 (lǐ) pronounced and toned in real speech? I sometimes see xǐhuan written as xǐhuan (no tone on “huan”).

喜欢:

Dictionary form: xǐhuan – xǐ (3rd tone) + huan (neutral tone).
The second syllable “huan” is normally neutral tone in everyday speech, not 1st or 4th etc.
So you should say it like: xǐ ·huan, with the second part lighter and shorter.

里:

Tone: 3rd tone – lǐ.
In this word 公园里, it keeps its 3rd tone and is pronounced clearly as gōngyuán lǐ.

So the whole phrase is:

我从小就喜欢在公园里散步。
– wǒ cóngxiǎo jiù xǐ·huan zài gōngyuán lǐ sànbù.