Niubi! (10 page)

A slangy word for “girlfriend.” Originated in Hong Kong and was once used derogatorily (literally means “horse”), but now carries a positive connotation.

 

凯子
kǎizi
(
kigh dz
)

A slangy term for “boyfriend” and the counterpart to
mǎzi
(above). Describes the ideal image of a boyfriend, as 凯
kǎi
(
kigh
) means “triumphant” and connotes a hero victorious in battle.

 

我爱你
wǒ ài nǐ
(
wuh aye nee
)

I love you.

 

鸳鸯
yuānyāng
(
yren yahng
)

A pair of lovers. Also means Mandarin ducks, a frequent metaphor for lovers in classic literature.

 

拍拖
pāituō
(
pie twuh
)

Courting, dating, being in love, having an affair. Literally “on patrol.” Used in southern China.

 

热恋
rèliàn
(
ruh lyinn
)

To be in the honeymoon phrase, head over heels.

 

蜜运
mìyùn
(
mee yreen
)

Dating seriously. Literally “honey luck.” When a man and woman are in a relationship likely headed toward marriage, young people might say that they are in
mìyùn
, or struck by “honey luck.” The term is a play on the word “honeymoon,” 蜜月
mìyuè
(
mee yreh
), because they sound similar.

 

爱称
àichēng
(
aye chung
)

Literally “love name.” An affectionate nickname, like “baby” or “snookums.” A few common Chinese “love names” are 宝贝
bǎobèi
(
baow bay
), “baby” or “treasure”; 亲爱的
qīnàide
(
cheen aye duh
), “dear” or “dearest” or “dear one”; 老公
lǎogong
(
laow gohng
), “husband” but more literally “old husband”; and 老婆
lǎopó
(
laow pwuh
), “wife” but more literally “old wife.”

 

两小无猜
liǎngxiǎowúcāi
(
lyahng shaow oo tsigh
)

Two innocent child playmates (puppy love).

 

青梅竹马
qīngméizhúmǎ
(
cheeng may jooh mah
)

Childhood sweethearts. Literally “green plums and a bamboo horse,” which are both references to childhood, as green plums are not yet ripe, and the bamboo horse refers to a childhood game of pretending to ride horses using a bamboo stick.

 

光棍节
Guāng Gùn Jié
(
gwahng gwen jyih
)

Singles Day. A holiday probably invented by a bunch of Chinese college students in Nanjing during the 1990s, and held on November 11 because of all the ones in the date (11/11), which represent single people. On that date, at 11:11 p.m., male college students across China scream their desire for a girlfriend, bang on rice bowls with spoons, and otherwise make a lot of noise.

 

剩女
shèngnǚ
(
shung nee
)

Literally “leftover woman.” Refers to successful career women who have still not found a spouse, and who have passed an age that the Chinese consider ideal for getting married.

 

三隐女人
sān yǐn nǚrén
(
sahn een nee ren
)

Literally “woman with three secrets.” Refers to married women who, for whatever reasons, keep their marital status, age, and child a secret, leading everyone to think they’re single.

 

一见钟情
yí jiàn zhōng qíng
(
ee jinn johng cheeng
)

Love at first sight. Literally “see once and love.” 锺情
Zhōng qíng
(
johng ching
) means love or like.

 

爱屋及乌
ài wū jí wū
(
aye ooh gee ooh
)

Literally “love house and bird.” An expression meaning that when you love someone, you also love everything belonging to or associated with them. An equivalent English expression might be “Love me, love my dog.”

 

空窗期
kōngchuāngqī
(
kohng chwahng chee
)

Literally “open-window period,” referring to the window of time after a breakup when a person is up for grabs. Used especially in reference to someone that everyone wants.

 

黄昏恋
huánghūnliàn
(
hwahng hwen lyinn
) or 夕阳恋
xīyángliàn
(
she yahng lyinn
)

Literally “love at dusk” or “sunset love.” A romance between two elderly people. The rising sun is an oft-used metaphor for youth, and conversely the elderly are associated with the setting sun.

 

跨国恋
kuàguóliàn
(
kwah gwuh lyinn
)

Literally “transnational love.” Refers to a relationship between a Chinese person and a foreigner, or any intercultural relationship.

 

扛洋枪
kángyángqiāng
(
kahng yahng chyahng
—the
ah
in all three syllables indicates a short
a
, as in “ma” or “la”)

Literally “shoulder foreign rifles.” Used in the late nineteenth century to refer to Chinese people using items from overseas (pens, clothes, etc.) and now refers to Chinese women who date and/or sleep with foreigners.

 

网恋
wǎngliàn
(
wahng lyinn
)

Internet dating, falling in love via the Internet.

 

师生恋
shī shēng liàn
(
shih shung lyinn
)

Literally “teacher-student love.” A romantic relationship between a teacher and a student. Such relationships are extremely common in China, where it can be difficult for diligent students to meet romantic prospects.

 

老牛吃嫩草
lǎoniú chī nèncǎo
(
low new chih nun tsow
)

A relationship between two people with a large age difference. Literally, “The old cow eats fresh grass.”

 

姐弟恋
jiědìliàn
(
jyih dee lyinn
)

A relationship between an older woman and a much younger man. Literally “older sister, younger brother love.”

 

老少恋
lǎoshàoliàn
(
laow shaow lyinn
)

Love between people with a big age difference. Literally “old-young love.”

 

忘年恋
wàngniánliàn
(
wahng nyinn lyinn
)

Being in love despite age differences. Literally “forgetting-age love.”

 

两地恋
liǎngdìliàn
(
lyahng dee lyinn
)

Long-distance relationship.

傍大款
bàngdàkuǎn
(
bahng dah kwahn
)

Literally “depend on a rich man” or “live off a rich man.” Negatively describes a woman having an intimate relationship with a wealthy man who supports her (and who may or may not be already married).

 

味道美女
wèidào mĕinǚ
(
way dow may nee
)

Hot waitress. Literally “delectable beauty.”

 

骨头轻
gǔtóu qīng
(
goo toe ching
)

Bimbo, airhead. Literally “light bones.”

 

浪
làng
(
lahng
)

Northern Chinese slang for “shallow,” “airheaded,” or “flighty” (describing women). Can also mean “to stroll” or “to wander.”

 

绣花枕头
xìuhuā zhěntou
(
show hwa jen toe
)

Literally “embroidered pillow,” meaning something or someone that is beautiful but useless.

 

老来俏
lǎo lái qiào
(
laow laow tsie
)

An older person who dresses young. Literally “[from] old to pretty.”

 

装嫩
zhuāng nèn
(
jwahng nun
)

Literally “pretending to be tender” or “faking softness” and describing someone who speaks girlishly, dresses young, and/or otherwise behaves much younger than he or she is.

 

校花
xiàohuā
(
shyaow hwa
)

Literally “school flower.” Equivalent to the head of the cheerleading team—the most popular and desired girl in school.

 

校草
xiàocǎo
(
shaow tsow
—both syllables rhyme with “pow”)

Literally “school grass.” Equivalent to the high school quarterback—the school hunk.

 

后生
hòushēng
(
ho shung
)

Young man. Literally “born later.” Used in southern China.

 

滥情
lànqíng
(
lahn cheeng
)

Something along the lines of a “romantic” crossed with a “player”—someone who loves everyone he or she sees. Said of both men and women. Literally “excessive feelings.” Can be used as an adjective too, as in 他这人挺滥情的
tā zhè rén tǐng lànqíng de
(
tah juh ren ting lahn ching duh
): literally “this person really has a lot of excessive feelings” but meaning something more like “this person’s always falling in love with everyone he meets.”

 

小白脸
xiǎobáiliǎn
(
shyow buy lyinn
)

Literally “little white face.” Refers to a young, slightly effeminate or somewhat “soft”-looking man (hence the white face, which is considered an effeminate feature). May also connote that the young man depends on an older woman for money instead of working for a living.

 

吃软饭
chī ruǎnfàn
(
chih rwun fun
)

Literally “eat soft rice.” A negative expression for a man (of any age) who depends on his girlfriend or wife for a living. Mainly used in southern China.

 

花
huā
(
hwah
)

An adjective used to describe a “player.” Literally “flower.”

 

花花公子
huāhuāgōngzǐ
(
hwa hwa gong dz
—the
gong
sound has a long
o
, like “oh”)

A playboy (and also the Chinese name for
Playboy
magazine). Literally “flower prince.”

 

钻石王老五
zuànshí wáng lǎo wǔ
(
dzwun shih wahng low ooh
)

Literally “diamond bachelor.” A wealthy, older, eligible man. Used mainly in Hong Kong and Taiwan (where it’s written 鑽石王老五).

单身贵族
dānshēn guì zú
(
dan shen gway dzoo
)

Literally “unmarried nobility.” 单身
Dānshēn
(
dan shen
) means “single” and many people now use this term with “nobility” added to convey the idea that there’s nothing wrong with being single and it’s something to be proud of, like something that noble people enjoy.

 

歪瓜劣枣
wāi guā lìe zǎo
(
why gwah lyih dzow
)

Literally “crooked melons and split-open dates,” referring to a group of unattractive people. For example, 他们学校的男生都是些歪瓜劣枣
Tā men xué xiào de nán shēng dōu shì xiē wāi guā liè zǎo
(
tah men shreh shaow duh nahn shung doe shih shih why gwah lyih dzow
) means “The boys at that school are all ugly.”

 

娘娘腔
niángniangqiāng
(
nyahng nyahng chyahng
)

Sissy, pansy, an effeminate man with a girly voice. Can imply that the person is gay, though can also be used teasingly with a close friend. Literally “girly tone.”

 

奶油小生
nǎiyóu xiǎoshēng
(
nigh yo shaow shung
)

An effeminate young man. Can be slightly derogatory, just like the word “girly.” Literally “buttery young man” or “butter-boy.”

 

夫妻相
fūqī xiàng
(
foo chee shyung
)

Literally “husband-and-wife appearance.” We often say that a husband and wife start to look like each other as time goes by. Somewhat along the same lines, many Chinese believe that a man and woman who share certain similar facial features will have a longer-lasting marriage, and thus match-makers might consider their
fūqī xiàng
in debating their suitability for marriage.

 

王八看绿豆, 看对眼了
wángbā kàn lǜdòu, kàn duì yǎn le
(
wahng bah kahn lee dough, kahn dway yen luh
)

A joking expression that means two ugly people will find each other attractive. Literally “a tortoise will gaze at two mung beans” (because the eyes of a tortoise look like two mung beans).

 

情侣衫
qínglǚ shān
(
cheeng lee shahn
) or 情侣装
qínglǚ zhuāng
(
cheeng lee jwong
)

Matching couple outfits. Literally “lovers’ shirts” or “couples’ outfits.” Also 对衫
duì shān
(
dway shahn
), literally “matching shirts.” There is an inexplicable trend in China (and also South Korea) of couples wearing matching shirts. One (of many) of these T-shirt sets has an arrow pointing toward the girl, and the words, “Falling in love, she is my girlfriend.” The girl of course wears a shirt with an arrow pointing to the man, which says, “Falling in love, he is my boyfriend.” Moreover, these couples somehow manage to stay on the correct side of each other, always, while walking, sitting, shopping, and eating, so that the arrows are always pointing at each other.