Love: a beautiful topic that many people enjoy talking about. It seems to be a never-ending subject of discussion among philosophers, and indeed, it’s one of the most important purposes of human life. Most of us can’t live without it.
But having love is not enough. We also have to express it to those who truly deserve it.
“Love” in Chinese is 爱 (ài), and 爱 never comes easy. If you happen to fall for a Chinese girl or guy, the phrases and cultural information in this article will be your trump card.
Today, we’ll be delving into the topic of how to say “I love you,” in Chinese. We’ll introduce you to several romantic Mandarin phrases to use with your sweetheart at every stage of your relationship, from first contact to a second date and even proposing marriage! Near the end of this article, we’ll show you some sweet Chinese words for love and go over a few popular love quotes as well.
These are some of the sweetest love phrases in Chinese you’ll ever hear. They cannot wait to be mastered and said out loud to the person of your dreams!
Table of Contents
- Confess Your Affection: Pick-Up Lines and More
- Fall in Deeper: “I Love You,” and More
- Take it One Step Further: “Will You Marry Me?” and More
- Endearment Terms
- Must-Know Love Quotes
- Conclusion
1. Confess Your Affection: Pick-Up Lines and More
I know you’re rushing to learn how to say “I love you,” in Chinese, but let’s wait a second. Before you spit that out, make sure you don’t frighten the other person by being too forward right away. It’s probably better to take it slowly at this point.
In this section, we’ll first go over how to express your feelings before officially starting a relationship. This is usually done by asking the person out, showing your interest, or simply telling them your feelings, so we’ll give you useful phrases for these different scenarios. This is an important stage that will pave the way for your future relationship, so trust me, you don’t want to mess this up.
Maybe start pursuing your love by taking them on a date!
1.
In Chinese: 我可以约你出去吗？
Pinyin: Wǒ kě yǐ yuē nǐ chū qù ma?
In English: “Can I ask you out?”
2.
In Chinese: 我暗恋你很久了。
Pinyin: Wǒ àn liàn nǐ hěn jiǔ le.
In English: “I have been secretly in love with you for a long time.”
3.
In Chinese: 你有男朋友/女朋友了吗？
Pinyin: Nǐ yǒu nán péng yǒu / nǚ péng yǒu le ma?
In English: “Do you have a boyfriend / girlfriend?”
4.
In Chinese: 我想跟你在一起。
Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ zài yī qǐ.
In English: “I want to be with you.”
5.
In Chinese: 我们注定要在一起。
Pinyin: Wǒ men zhù dìng yào zài yī qǐ.
In English: “We are meant to be together.”
6.
In Chinese: 你就是对的那个人。
Pinyin: Nǐ jiù shì duì de nà gè rén.
In English: “You are the one.”
7.
In Chinese: 给我一个机会照顾你吧。
Pinyin: Gěi wǒ yī gè jī huì zhào gù nǐ ba.
In English: “Give me a chance to take care of you.”
8.
In Chinese: 我可以晚上请你吃个饭吗？
Pinyin: Wǒ kě yǐ wǎn shàng qǐng nǐ chī gè fàn ma?
In English: “Can I buy you dinner tonight?”
9.
In Chinese: 你就是我这辈子一直在等的那个人。
Pinyin: Nǐ jiù shì wǒ zhè bèi zi yī zhí zài děng de nà gè rén.
In English: “You are the person I have been waiting for my whole life.”
2. Fall in Deeper: “I Love You,” and More
Now that you’re together, it’s time to tell the person what he/she wants to hear.
Congratulations! If you find yourself needing to use these sweet Chinese love phrases, you must have successfully captured someone’s heart. Now it’s time to simply express your love each and every day to keep your relationship going smoothly.
10.
In Chinese: 我爱你。
Pinyin: Wǒ ài nǐ.
In English: “I love you.”
11.
In Chinese: 我喜欢你。
Pinyin: Wǒ xǐ huān nǐ.
In English: “I like you.”
12.
In Chinese: 我很想你。
Pinyin: Wǒ hěn xiǎng nǐ.
In English: “I miss you very much.”
13.
In Chinese: 情人节快乐。
Pinyin: Qíng rén jié kuài lè.
In English: “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
14.
In Chinese: 我就是喜欢这样的你
Pinyin: Wǒ jiù shì xǐ huān zhè yàng de nǐ.
In English: “I just like the way you are.”
15.
In Chinese: 我脑海里都是你。
Pinyin: Wǒ nǎo hǎi lǐ dōu shì nǐ.
In English: “I can’t stop thinking about you.”
16.
In Chinese: 没有你我活不下去。
Pinyin: Méi yǒu nǐ wǒ huó bú xià qù.
In English: “I can’t live without you.”
3. Take it One Step Further: “Will You Marry Me?” and More
Are you ready to grow your relationship into a family?
Wow! If you’re reading this, then you’re about to take a huge step in your relationship. Here are some useful phrases to help you get ready for this new chapter of your life together.
17.
In Chinese: 我们结婚吧。
Pinyin: Wǒ men jié hūn ba.
In English: “Let’s get married.”
18.
In Chinese: 我想和你同居。
Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng hé nǐ tóng jū.
In English: “I’d like to move in with you.”
19.
In Chinese: 余生请多指教。
Pinyin: Yú shēng qǐng duō zhǐ jiào.
In English: “Let’s grow and learn together for the rest of our lives.”
20.
In Chinese: 你愿意嫁给我吗? / 你愿意娶我吗？
Pinyin: Nǐ yuàn yì jià gěi wǒ ma? / Nǐ yuàn yì qǔ wǒ ma?
In English: “Do you want to marry me?”
Additional notes: In Chinese, the word for “marry” is different depending on the gender. When it’s the male asking the female, 嫁 (jià) is used; 娶(qǔ) is the correct word to use if the female is asking the male.
21.
In Chinese: 我们是时候要孩子了。
Pinyin: Wǒ men shì shí hòu yào hái zi le.
In English: “It’s time for us to have a baby.”
22.
In Chinese: 你想见见我父母吗？
Pinyin: Nǐ xiǎng jiàn jiàn wǒ fù mǔ ma?
In English: “Do you want to meet my parents?”
Additional notes: In a Chinese relationship, it’s a big deal to see each other’s parents.
4. Endearment Terms
You know a cute nickname is essential for any relationship!
Maybe it’s time to use a fun endearment term for your partner! Here are some cute nicknames you should consider:
23.
In Chinese: 亲爱的
Pinyin: qīn ài de
In English: “Darling”
24.
In Chinese: 老公 / 老婆
Pinyin: lǎo gōng / lǎo pó
In English: “Husband” / “Wifey”
25.
In Chinese: 宝贝 / 宝宝
Pinyin: bǎo bèi / bǎo bao
In English: “Baby” / “Babe”
26.
In Chinese: 小傻瓜 / 笨蛋
Pinyin: xiǎo shǎ guā / bèn dàn
In English: “Little Fool”
27.
In Chinese: 夫君 / 夫人
Pinyin: fū jūn / fū rén
In English: “Husband” / “Wife”
Additional notes: This is the ancient way of saying “husband” and “wife.” Today, these terms are used as fun expressions of endearment between married couples.
5. Must-Know Love Quotes
Say something sweet everyday to make the person with you feel that she/he is well-loved!
Now that you’ve settled down with your other half, it’s time to start showing your love in more depth! Even a stable relationship needs to be consistently nurtured, and hopefully these quotes and love phrases in Chinese can help you with that.
28.
In Chinese: 你让我想成为更好的人。
Pinyin: Nǐ ràng wǒ xiǎng chéng wéi gèng hǎo de rén.
In English: “I want to be a better person for you.”
29.
In Chinese: 愿得一人心，白首不相离。
Pinyin: Yuàn dé yī rén xīn, bái shǒu bù xiàng lí.
In English: “To have one’s heart and never be apart even when the hair turns silver.”
30.
In Chinese: 和你在一起的每一天都是情人节。
Pinyin: Hé nǐ zài yī qǐ de měi yī tiān dōu shì qíng rén jié.
In English: “Being with you, I think every day is Valentine’s Day.”
31.
In Chinese: 在我眼里你是最美的。
Pinyin: Zài wǒ yǎn lǐ nǐ shì zuì měi de.
In English: “You are the most beautiful person to my eyes.”
32.
In Chinese: 爱你，是我做过的最好的事。
Pinyin: Ài nǐ, shì wǒ zuò guò de zuì hǎo de shì.
In English: “Loving you is the best thing I’ve done.”
33.
In Chinese: 你就是我的全世界。
Pinyin: Nǐ jiù shì wǒ de quán shì jiè.
In English: “You are my whole world.”
34.
In Chinese: 你只属于我。
Pinyin: Nǐ zhǐ shǔ yú wǒ.
In English: “You only belong to me.”
35.
In Chinese: 我的心里只有你。
Pinyin: Wǒ de xīn lǐ zhǐ yǒu nǐ.
In English: “You are the only one in my heart.”
36.
In Chinese: 我们一起变老吧。
Pinyin: Wǒ men yī qǐ biàn lǎo ba.
In English: “Let’s grow old together.”
37.
In Chinese: 执子之手，与子偕老
Pinyin: Zhí zǐ zhī shǒu, yǔ zǐ xié lǎo.
In English: “I promise to hold your hands and grow old with you.
6. Conclusion
So, what’s your favorite way to say “I love you” in Chinese? Now that you’ve mastered some basic Chinese love phrases, you might consider writing a love letter or something more.
As you may already know, it’s never easy to pursue love, and it can get even more difficult when you’re doing it in another language or with a foreigner who doesn’t speak your native language. But don’t worry yet—ChineseClass101 is here to give you a hand!
ChineseClass101 will guide you to fluency with numerous lessons about the Chinese culture, grammar, vocabulary, and so much more. All of this is customized for different levels and different learning preferences. Create your free lifetime account today in order to gain access to these world-class teaching materials.
Now, get out there and win over that good-looking Chinese guy or gal!
