"Baby, "honey", "sweetheart"...
Just like in English, there are many ways to address someone you feel affection for in Chinese.
So what are the most popular terms? And which ones might you want to use?
Let's take a look!
Summary Of 22 Typical Chinese Nicknames for your Significant other From The Video Above
1. 宝贝 bǎo bèi : Babe
Examples:
bǎo bèi， wǒ dào jiā le！
宝贝，我到家了！
Babe, I'm home.
bǎo bèi， wǒ huì jiào nǐ ya.
宝贝，我会教你呀.
Babe, I will teach you.
2. 宝宝 bǎo bao: Baby
bǎo bao， wǒ men yī huìr gēn Leo chī fàn.
宝宝，我们一会儿跟Leo吃饭。
Baby, let's have dinner with Leo later.
3. 亲爱的 qīn ài de: Honey
4. 亲 qīn: Honey
"亲qīn" is short for "亲爱的qīn ài de"
Examples:
qīn ài de， qīn ài de， wǒ zhēn de tè bié tè bié duì bù qǐ nǐ！
亲爱的，亲爱的，我真的特别特别对不起你！
Honey, honey, I'm really really sorry!
qīn ài de， wǒ zhī qián wù huì nǐ le. bié wǎng xīn lǐ qù a.
亲爱的，我之前误会你了。别往心里去啊。
Honey, I misunderstood you before, don't take it to heart.
qīn ài de， zhù nǐ shēng rì kuài lè！
亲爱的，祝你生日快乐！
Honey, happy birthday!
qīn， wǒ qù shàng bān le.
亲，我去上班了。
Honey, I'm going to work.
5. 小心肝 xiǎo xīn gān: sweetheart
"小心肝 xiǎo xīn gān" literally means "little heart", you can think of it as "sweetheart” in English.
xiǎo xīn gān， wǒ men yī qǐ kàn diàn yǐng ba!
小心肝，我们一起看电影吧！
Sweetheart, let's watch a movie together.
6. 老头子 lǎo tóu zi: My old man
7. 老婆子 lǎo pó zi: My old woman
8.老伴 lǎo bàn: My old partner
These 3 words are mainly used by older couples.
"老头子 lǎo tóu zi” refers to a man “老婆子 lǎo pó zi" refers to a woman.
And "老伴 lǎo bàn" can be used for both a man and a woman.
Examples.
lǎo tóu zi， nǐ xǐ wǎn le ma？
老头子，你洗碗了吗？
My old man, have you done the dishes?
lǎo pó zi， wǒ de wà zi ne？
老婆子，我的袜子呢？
My old woman, where are my socks?
lǎo bàn， nǐ zuò fàn le ma？
老伴，你做饭了吗？
My old partner, have you cooked yet?
9. 男朋友 nán péng you: Boyfriend
10. 女朋友 nǚ péng you: Girlfriend
11.男票 nán piào: Boyfriend
12. 女票 nǚ piào: Girlfriend
"男票 nán piào" and "女票 nǚ piào" are often used when chatting online. They are slang versions of "男朋友 nán péng you" and "女朋友 nǚ péng you"
Examples:
wǒ nán péng you hěn xǐ huan pāi zhào.
我男朋友很喜欢拍照。
My boyfriend loves to take pictures.
wǒ jué de wǒ de nǚ péng you hěn kě ài.
我觉得我的女朋友很可爱。
I think my girlfriend is cute.
wǒ zhōu mò yào hé nán piào qù pá shān. nǐ yào hé wǒ men yī qǐ qù ma？
我周末要和男票去爬山。你要和我们一起去吗？
I'm going to go hiking with my boyfriend this weekend. Are you coming with us?
bù qù le. wǒ yào hé nǚ piào qù guàng jiē.
不去了。我要和女票去逛街。
No. I'm going shopping with my girlfriend.
13. 老公 lǎo gōng: Husband
14. 老婆 lǎo pó: Wife
"老公 lǎo gōng" and "老婆 lǎo pó" are common and casual terms used in spoken Chinese.
15. 先生 xiān sheng: Husband
16. 太太 tài tai: Wife
17. 丈夫 zhàng fu: Husband
18. 妻子 qī zi: Wife
These are quite formal and are often used in written Chinese.
Examples:
lǎo pó， lǎo pó， wǒ gěi nǐ mǎi bǎn lì huí lái le.
老婆，老婆，我给你买板栗回来了。
Wife, wife, I got you some chestnuts.
zhēn de hěn xiǎng gào su nǐ lǎo pó.
真的很想告诉你老婆。
I really want to tell your wife.
lǎo gōng， xíng lǐ dǎ bāo hǎo le ma？
老公，行李打包好了吗？
Husband, have you packed the luggage?
lǎo pó， wǒ yǐ jīng dǎ bāo hǎo le.
老婆，我已经打包好了。
Wife, I've already packed it.
19. 哥哥 gē ge: Older brother
20. 妹妹 mèi mei: Little sister
Young people in a romantic relationship often call each other "哥哥 gē ge" and " 妹妹 mèi mei". This may seem weird, but the idea is that your boyfriend or girlfriend is as close as family.
Examples:
gē ge， shì wǒ， kāi mén.
哥哥，是我，开门。
Older brother, it's me, open the door.
gē ge ... wǒ huái yùn le.
哥哥... 我怀孕了。
Older brother ... I am pregnant.
gē ge， wǒ xià cì bù huì chí dào le.
哥哥，我下次不会迟到了。
Older Brother, I won't be late next time.
mèi mei， nǐ xǐ huan wǒ sòng nǐ de huā ma？
妹妹，你喜欢我送你的花吗？
Little sister, do you like the flowers I sent you?
mèi mei， wǒ men fēn shǒu ba！
妹妹，我们分手吧！
Little sister, let's break up!
21. 小公举 xiǎo gōng jǔ: Little princess
"小公举 xiǎo gōng jǔ" means "little princess”. This one has a strong sense of adoration so it’s a good nickname for your special girl.
Example:
xiǎo gōng jǔ， wǒ gěi nǐ àn mó yī xià.
小公举，我给你按摩一下。
Little princess, let me give you a massage.
22. 大野猪 dà yě zhū: Big lug
"大野猪 dà yě zhū" literally means "big wild boar". It may not sound flattering, but "大野猪 dà yě zhū" can be used to describe a guy in a fun and affectionate manner. When a girlfriend calls her boyfriend "大野猪 dà yě zhū", it's like calling him a "big lug".
Example:
dà yě zhū, wǒ xiǎng nǐ！
大野猪，我想你！
Big lug, I miss you!
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