simpatija

1. crush; romantic interest
   Njena simpatija iz razreda ju je pozvala u bioskop. — Her crush from class asked her to the cinema.
   Imaš li neku simpatiju? — Do you have a crush on anyone?
2. liking; fondness
   Od prvog dana je osećao simpatije prema novoj koleginici. — From day one he felt a liking for his new colleague.
   Publika je odmah osetila simpatije prema njemu. — The audience took a liking to him right away.

In the sense "liking" it is often plural: simpatije prema kome; it does not mean "compassion".