How to say I love you in Chinese in 186 creative phrases

Knowing how to talk about love and romance in Chinese is an invaluable skill to have — whether you’re single or happily partnered.

Finding love and keeping it are two entirely different things in any language, but especially so in Chinese. Whether you’re looking to make your current partner happy by learning a few cute ways of saying I love you in Chinese or just want to learn some flirty and romantic phrases, you’ve got to be very careful to use the appropriate level of affection.

As you’ll learn later on in this blog, the concept of love in China is very different from the West. While Americans may say “I love you” to their friends and family all the time, love is typically reserved only for your romantic partner in Chinese. That’s right — even telling your family that you love them may not land as intended.

So, does that mean Chinese speakers don’t love their friends and family? Of course not! There are simply different ways to express love and affection in China, which may be different from the West. That’s why we’ll cover some essential cultural contexts in this article to help you navigate the world of love and romance in Chinese.

By the end of this article, you’ll be an expert at expressing love with Chinese speakers. Now, let us show you how to show love and affection in Chinese with 186 unique and romantic words, phrases, and even love songs!

How to say I love you in Chinese

First things first, let’s deal with the star of the show: how to actually say I love you in Chinese. The most common way to say this is 我爱你:

• 我 (wǒ) — I
• 爱 (ài) — to love
• 你 (nǐ) — you

The most important part here is the verb 爱 (ài), which means “to love.” You can use it to say you love people, such as:

• 我爱他 (wǒ ài tā) — I love him
• 我爱她 (wǒ ài tā) — I love her
• 我爱你们 (wǒ ài nǐ men) — I love you (plural)
• 我爱他们 (wǒ ài tā men) — I love them

However, don’t count on using this verb to say you love things, like your favorite Chinese foods or colors. We’ll get more into this later on, but using the verb 爱 (ài) isn’t commonly used to talk about things you love. Instead, it’s much more common to use the verb 喜欢 (xǐ huān), which means “to like.”

The cultural differences in expressing love in Chinese

Although 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ) is the most common way of saying I love you in Chinese, it’s typically not used in the same way as in the Western context. In the West, you might be used to saying I love you to your parents and close friends very frequently, perhaps even daily. However, this isn’t common in China, where expressing love as directly as saying I love you to someone is far less common.

Instead, love is expressed indirectly, either by showing concern for someone’s well-being or by doing things that show that you care about them. For example, if you’ve read our guide to saying hello in Chinese, then you already know that asking someone if they’ve eaten yet (吃了吗?) is a common way of saying hi. Although asking someone if they’ve eaten doesn’t mean you love them, this is a common way of showing love and affection in China: by inquiring about their well-being.

By the same token, doing things for others is also a sign of love. For example, treating your friends to a meal is a sign that you value and appreciate their friendship. In China more than anywhere else, actions speak louder than words, so don’t forget to go out of your way to do kind things for your loved ones every now and then.

Romantic words

While saying I love you to someone directly may not be as common, romance and love is everywhere in China. Here are some of the most common romantic words in Chinese you may find on your day-to-day:

English	Chinese	Pinyin	Pronunciation
Affection	感情	gǎn qíng	gaan chyng
Appreciate	欣赏	xīn shǎng	shin shaang
Boyfriend	男朋友	nán péng you	nan perng iou
Caring	关怀	guān huái	guan hwai
Cherish	珍爱	zhēn ài	jen ay
Chocolate	巧克力	qiǎo kè lì	cheau keh lih
Compromise	妥协	tuǒ xié	tuoo shye
Cupid	丘比特	qiū bǐ tè	chiou bii teh
Cute	可爱	kě ài	kee ay
To date	约会	yuē huì	iue huey
Forever	永远	yǒng yuǎn	yeong yeuan
Friendship	友谊	yǒu yì	yeou yih
Fun	好玩	hǎo wán	hao wan
Gift	礼物	lǐ wù	lii wuh
Girlfriend	女朋友	nǚ péng you	neu perng iou
Happiness	幸福	xìng fú	shinq fwu
Happy	快乐	kuài lè	kuay leh
Heart	心	xīn	shin
Hugs	拥抱	yōng bào	iong baw
Husband	丈夫	zhàng fu	janq fu
Infatuated	痴情	chī qíng	chy chyng
Joy	喜乐	xǐ lè	shii leh
Kiss	吻	wěn	woen
Love	爱	ài	ay
Loyal	忠诚	zhōng chéng	jong cherng
Marriage	婚姻	hūn yīn	huen in
Passion	热情	rè qíng	reh chyng
Romantic	浪漫	làng màn	lanq mann
Rose	玫瑰	méi guī	mei guei
Selfless	无私	wú sī	wu sy
Surprise	惊喜	jīng xǐ	jing shii
Teddy bear	泰迪熊	tài dí xióng	tay dyi shyong
To be grateful	感谢	gǎn xiè	gaan shieh
To express feelings	表白	biǎo bái	beau bair
To express feelings	告白	gào bái	gaw bair
To like	喜欢	xǐ huan	shii huan
To love	明恋	míng liàn	ming liann
To trust	信任	xìn rèn	shinn renn
To understand	了解	liǎo jiě	leau jiee
Warm	温暖	wēn nuǎn	uen noan
Wife	妻子	qī zi	chi tzy

Romantic phrases

Coming up with ways to say I love you is difficult in any language, let alone in Chinese. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of some of the most romantic phrases in Chinese so you don’t have to spend hours carefully crafting the perfect romantic phrase. Note that most of these don’t include the word “love,” so make sure to use some of the more indirect phrases if you’re just starting a new relationship.

English	Chinese	Pinyin	Pronunciation
I love you	我爱你	wǒ ài nǐ	woo ay nii
I really love you a lot	我真的很爱你	wǒ zhēn de hěn ài nǐ	woo jen de heen ay nii
I love you so much	我是如此爱你	wǒ shì rú cǐ ài nǐ	woo shyh ru tsyy ay nii
Happy Valentine's Day!	情人节快乐！	qíng rén jié kuài lè!	chyng ren jye kuay leh
I am crazy for you	我为你疯狂	wǒ wèi nǐ fēng kuáng	woo wey nii feng kwang
I love you more than anything	我爱你胜过一切	wǒ ài nǐ shèng guò yī qiè	woo ay nii shenq guoh i chieh
I am very happy	我很高兴	wǒ hěn gāo xìng	woo heen gau shinq
I cannot live without you	我不能没有你	wǒ bù néng méi yǒu nǐ	woo buh neng mei yeou nii
I do not want to leave you	我不想离开你	wǒ bù xiǎng lí kāi nǐ	woo buh sheang li kai nii
I like everything about you	我喜欢你的一切	wǒ xǐ huān nǐ de yī qiè	woo shii huan nii .de i chieh
I like you	我喜欢你	wǒ xǐ huān nǐ	woo shii huan nii
I like her	我喜欢她	wǒ xǐ huān tā	woo shii huan ta
I like him	我喜欢他	wǒ xǐ huān tā	woo shii huan ta
I am interested in you	我对你感兴趣	wǒ duì nǐ gǎn xìng qù	woo duey nii gaan shinq chiuh
I have feelings for you	我对你有感觉	wǒ duì nǐ yǒu gǎn jué	woo duey nii yeou gaan jyue
I really like you	我非常喜欢你	wǒ fēi cháng xǐ huān nǐ	woo fei charng shii huan nii
I love you crazy	我疯狂地爱着你	wǒ fēng kuáng de ài zhe nǐ	woo feng kwang de ay je nii
I love you so much	我真的很爱你	wǒ zhēn de hěn ài nǐ	woo jen de heen ay nii
I want to be with you	我想跟你在一起	wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ zài yī qǐ	woo sheang gen nii tzay i chii
Would you like to date?	你想跟我约会吗?	nǐ xiǎng gēn wǒ yuē huì ma?	nii sheang gen woo iue huey mha
I have a crush on you	我暗恋你	wǒ àn liàn nǐ	ann liann nii
I miss you	我想你	wǒ xiǎng nǐ	woo ay nii nah me duo
I miss you so much	我好想你	wǒ hǎo xiǎng nǐ	woo hao sheang nii woo hao sheang nii
I only care about you	我只在乎你	wǒ zhǐ zài hū nǐ	woo jyy tzay hu nii woo hao sheang nii
I passionately love you	我热烈地爱着你	wǒ rè liè de ài zhe nǐ	woo reh lieh .de ay je nii woo hao sheang nii
I want to date with you	我想和你约会	wǒ xiǎng hé nǐ yuē huì	woo sheang her nii iue huey woo hao sheang nii
I want to know more about you	我想更了解你	wǒ xiǎng gèng liǎo jiě nǐ	woo sheang genq leau jiee nii woo hao sheang nii
I want to make you happy	我想让你幸福	wǒ xiǎng ràng nǐ xìng fú	woo sheang ranq nii shinq fwu woo hao sheang nii
You mean so much to me	你对我意义重大	nǐ duì wǒ yì yì zhòng dà	nii duey woo yih yih jonq dah
I'm yours	我是你的	wǒ shì nǐ de	woo shyh nii de
I feel so happy being with you	跟你在一起真的很开心	gēn nǐ zài yī qǐ zhēn de hěn kāi xīn	gen nii tzay i chii jen de heen kai shin
I will always be by your side	我会一直陪着你	wǒ huì yī zhí péi zhe nǐ	woo huey i jyr peir je nii
Love at first sight	一见钟情	yī jiàn zhōng qíng	i jiann jong chyng
Love will find a way	有情人终成眷属	yǒu qíng rén zhōng chéng juàn shǔ	yeou chyng ren jong cherng jiuann shuu
Love will come at the right time	日久生情	rì jiǔ shēng qíng	ryh jeou sheng chyng
Love you forever	永远爱你	yǒng yuǎn ài nǐ	yeong yeuan ay nii
Thank you for the gift	谢谢你的礼物	xiè xiè nǐ de lǐ wù	shieh shieh nii de lii wuh
Thank you for treating me to this meal	谢谢你请我吃饭	xiè xiè nǐ qǐng wǒ chī fàn	shieh shieh nii chiing woo chy fann
These roses are beautiful	这些玫瑰很漂亮	zhè xiē méi guī hěn piào liang	jeh shie mei guei heen piaw lhiang
What do you like about me?	你喜欢我什么?	nǐ xǐ huān wǒ shén me?	nii shii huan woo shern me
Will you be my lover?	你愿意做我的情人吗?	nǐ yuàn yì zuò wǒ de qíng rén ma?	nii yuann yih tzuoh woo .de chyng ren mha
Would you like to dance?	你想跳舞吗?	nǐ xiǎng tiào wǔ ma?	nii sheang tiaw wuu mha
Are you free this weekend?	这个周末你有空吗？	zhè ge zhōu mò nǐ yǒu kòng ma?	jeh ge jou moh nii yeou konq mha
Would you be willing to go to dinner with me?	你愿意和我一起出去吃晚饭吗？	nǐ yuàn yì hé wǒ yī qǐ chū qù chī wǎn fàn ma?	nii yuann yih her woo i chii chu chiuh chy woan fann mha
Will you marry me?	你愿意嫁给我吗?	Nǐ yuàn yì jià gěi wǒ ma?	nii yuann yih jiah geei woo mha
You are mine	你是我的	nǐ shì wǒ de	nii shyh woo de
You are my favorite person	你是我最喜欢的人	nǐ shì wǒ zuì xǐ huān de rén	nii shyh woo tzuey shii huan .de ren
You are pretty	你很美	nǐ hěn měi	nii heen meei
You are the best	你最好了	nǐ zuì hǎo le	nii tzuey hao lhe
You are the most beautiful girl	你是最美丽的女孩	nǐ shì zuì měi lì de nǚ hái	nii shyh tzuey meei lih de neu hair
You are the most handsome guy	你是最帅的	nǐ shì zuì shuài de	nii shyh tzuey shuay de
You are very charming	你很迷人	nǐ hěn mí rén	nii heen mi ren
You are very cute	你很可爱	nǐ hěn kě ài	nii heen kee ay
You're very beautiful	你很漂亮	nǐ hěn piào liang	nii heen piaw lhiang
You are handsome	你很帅	nǐ hěn shuài	nii heen shuay
I think you are pretty good-looking	我觉得你很好看	wǒ jué dé nǐ hěn hǎo kàn	woo jyue der nii heen hao kann
You look awesome	你看起来真棒	nǐ kàn qǐ lái zhēn bàng	nii kann chii lai jen banq
You look very handsome	你看起来很帅	nǐ kàn qǐ lái hěn shuài	nii kann chii lai heen shuay
You make me happy	你让我快乐	nǐ ràng wǒ kuài lè	nii ranq woo kuay leh
Your eyes are beautiful	你的眼睛很美	nǐ de yǎn jīng hěn měi	nii de yean jing heen meei
I like your personality	我喜欢你的性格	wǒ xǐ huān nǐ de xìng gé	woo shii huan nii de shinq ger
I like your eyes	我喜欢你的眼睛	wǒ xǐ huān nǐ de yǎn jīng	woo shii huan nii de yean jing
I’m very happy when I’m with you	跟你在一起的时候好开心	gēn nǐ zài yī qǐ de shí hòu hǎo kāi xīn	gen nii tzay i chii de shyr hou hao kai shin
You stole my heart	你偷走了我的心	nǐ tōu zǒu le wǒ de xīn	gen nii tzay i chii de shyr hou hao kai shin
Take good care of yourself	照顾好自己	zhào gù hǎo zì jǐ	jaw guh hao tzyh jii

Terms of endearment

Another indirect way of showing affection in Chinese is by using a term of endearment to refer to your loved ones. Some of these are cute and lovely, while others may seem mean on the surface. However, you’ll be able to tell that they’re meant to be terms of endearment by the tone. Plus, some of these are always used as terms of endearment — no one would use silly melon as an insult!

English	Chinese	Pinyin	Pronunciation
Baby	宝贝	bǎo bèi	bao bey
Baby	宝宝	bǎo bao	bao bao
Beautiful girl	美女	měi nǚ	meei neu
Dear	亲爱的	qīn ài de	chin ay de
Dear	亲	qīn	chin
Wife (playful term, often used for girlfriends)	媳妇	xí fù	shyi fuh
Handsome guy	帅哥	shuài gē	shuay ge
Husband (playful term, often used for boyfriends)	老公	lǎo gōng	lao gong
Sweetheart	小甜甜	xiǎo tián tián	sheau tyan tyan
Wife (playful term, often used for girlfriends)	老婆	lǎo pó	lao por
Silly melon	傻瓜	shǎ guā	shaa gua
Dumb egg	笨蛋	bèn dàn	benn dann
Little villain	小坏蛋	xiǎo huài dàn	sheau huay dann
My heart and liver	心肝	xīn gān	shin gan
My loved one	我的爱人	wǒ de ài rén	woo de ay ren
My angel	我的天使	wǒ de tiān shǐ	woo de tian shyy
Sweetheart	甜心	tián xīn	tyan shin
Little piggy	小猪猪	xiǎo zhū zhū	sheau ju ju
Darling	乖乖	guāi guāi	guai guai
Wife	妻子	qī zi	chi tzy
Husband	丈夫	zhàng fu	janq fu
Lover	情人	qíng rén	chyng ren

Romantic codes: Using numbers to say I love you

Another common indirect way of expressing love in Chinese is by using codes. If you’ve been taking Mandarin classes, then you may already know that using numbers that sound similar to phrases is a popular way to “conceal” messages and be even more indirect. Here are some of the most common romantic codes and ways to say I love you in Chinese numbers.

English	Number	Pinyin	Pronunciation	Sounds like	Pinyin	Pronunciation
Love you	520	wǔ èr líng	wuu ell ling	我爱你	wǒ ài nǐ	woo ay nii
Hug you	880	bā bā líng	ba ba ling	抱抱你	bào bào nǐ	baw baw nii
I miss you	530	wǔ sān líng	wuu san ling	我想你	wǒ xiǎng nǐ	woo sheang nii
Always / forever	1314	yī sān yī sì	i san i syh	一生一世	yī shēng yī shì	i sheng i shyh
I love only you	921	jiǔ èr yī	jeou ell i	就爱你	jiù ài nǐ	jiow ay nii
I will love you for a long long time	20999	èr líng jiǔ jiǔ jiǔ	ell ling jeou jeou jeou	爱你久久久	ài nǐ jiǔ jiǔ jiǔ	ay nii jeou jeou jeou
Kiss me and hug me	775885	qī qī wǔ bā bā wǔ	chi chi wuu ba ba wuu	亲亲我，抱抱我	qīn qīn wǒ bào bào wǒ	chin chin woo baw baw woo
I will love you for the rest of my life	5201314	wǔ èr líng yī sān yī sì	wuu ell ling i san i syh	我爱你一生一世	wǒ ài nǐ yī shēng yī shì	woo ay nii i sheng i shyh
I love for a lifetime with an unchanging heart	52033 44587	wǔ èr líng sān sān sì sì wǔ bā qī	wuu ell ling san san syh syh wuu ba chi	我爱你生生 世世不变心	wǒ ài nǐ shēng shēng shì shì bú biàn xīn	woo ay nii sheng sheng shyh shyh buh biann shin
I still have deep love for you	53719	wǔ sān qī yī jiǔ	wuu san chi i jeou	我深情依旧	wǒ shēn qíng yī jiù	woo shen chyng i jiow
I'm thinking of kissing you	53770	wǔ sān qī qī líng	wuu san chi chi ling	我想亲亲你	wǒ xiǎng qīn qīn nǐ	woo sheang chin chin nii
I'm thinking of hugging you	53880	wǔ sān bā bā líng	wuu san ba ba ling	我想抱抱你	wǒ xiǎng bào bào nǐ	woo sheang baw baw nii
I swear I love you	584520	wǔ bā sì wǔ èr líng	wuu ba syh wuu ell ling	我发誓我爱你	wǒ fā shì wǒ ài nǐ	woo fashyh woo ay nii
Your companion forever	801314	bā líng yī sān yī sì	ba ling i san i syh	伴你一生一世	bàn nǐ yī shēng yī shì	bann nii i sheng i shyh
Being loved is happiness	82475	bā èr sì qī wǔ	ba ell syh chi wuu	被爱是幸福	bèi ài shì xìng fú	bey ay shyh shinq fwu
You are the one and only for me	04551	líng sì wǔ wǔ yī	ling syh wuu wuu i	你是我唯一	nǐ shì wǒ wéi yī	nii shyh woo wei i

Chinese love quotes from proverbs and poems

To learn Chinese is to learn about the beautifully deep and rich Chinese culture. With countless emotive and thought-provoking poems, it’s no wonder that a few of them made their way into regular vernacular conversations. Here are some of the most common romantic lines and quotes from famous poems:

English	Chinese	Pinyin	Pronunciation	Comment
Love me, love my dog.	爱屋及乌	ài wū jí wū	ay u jyi u	To love someone is to also love the people/things important to them
Wishing us long life, though sharing moonlight from afar.	但愿人长久，千里共婵娟	dàn yuàn rén cháng jiǔ，qiān lǐ gòng chán juān	dann yuann ren charng jeou lii gonq charn jiuan	Used to express that we wish the people we love to have a long life.
Hold hands with you, grow old with you.	执子之手，与子偕老	zhí zǐ zhī shǒu，yǔ zǐ xié lǎo	jyr tzyy jy shoou tzyy shye lao	Used to express the desire of wanting to grow old with someone
Long for a heart, never be apart.	愿得一人心，白首不相离	yuàn dé yī rén xīn，bái shǒu bù xiāng lí	yuann der i ren shin shoou buh shiang li	When you love someone, you never want to be apart.
People in love become spouses in the end.	有情人终成眷属	yǒu qíng rén zhōng chéng juàn shǔ	yeou chyng ren jong cherng jiuann shuu	Used to describe lovers who ended up getting married.
To be beautiful enough to make fish sink and geese settle, the moon hides and flowers feel shy	沉鱼落雁，闭月羞花	chén yú luò yàn bì yuè xiū huā	chern yu luoh yann bih yueh shiou hua	This saying refers to China’s four historical great beauties, each of whom can make something supernatural happen with their beauty.
In a lover's eye is the foremost beauty.	情人眼里出西施	qíng rén yǎn lǐ chū xī shī	chyng ren yean lii chu shi shy	Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Fate brings people together from far apart.	有缘千里来相会	yǒu yuán qiān lǐ lái xiāng huì	yeou yuan chian lii lai shiang huey	Used to express that love can bring people together, even if thousands of miles apart.
To be together forever.	厮守终生	sī shǒu zhōng shēng	sy shoou jong sheng
Birds flying in the sky as one; branches growing on the earth as one.	在天愿作比翼鸟，在地愿为连理枝	zài tiān yuàn zuò bǐ yì niǎo，zài dì yuàn wéi lián lǐ zhī	tzay tian yuann tzuoh bii yih neau dih yuann wei lian lii jy	Used to express the wish of a couple that doesn’t want to be apart.
The resonance between two lovers.	两情相悦	liǎng qíng xiāng yuè	leang chyng shiang yueh	To love each other.
One who has seen the ocean thinks nothing of mere rivers.	曾经沧海难为水	céng jīng cāng hǎi nán wéi shuǐ	tserng jing tsang hae nan wei shoei	Used to describe that once you’ve seen the best, nothing else will compare.
There's a good maiden fair whom a young man is wooing.	窈窕淑女，君子好逑	yǎo tiǎo shū nǚ, jūn zǐ hǎo qiú	yeau teau shu neu jiun tzyy hao chyou
Gold and jade predestined match.	金玉良缘	jīn yù liáng yuán	jin yuh liang yuan	Used to describe the perfect couple.
What is love supposed to be, which can make you devote all your life?	问世间情为何物，直教人生死相许	wèn shì jiān qíng wéi hé wù, zhí jiào rén shēng sǐ xiāng xǔ	jin yuh liang yuan
What you hear, take as false; what you see, take as true.	耳听为虚，眼见为实	ěr tīng wéi xū, yǎn jiàn wéi shí	eel ting wei shiu yean jiann wei shyr	Used to imply that acts of romance are more important than sweet nothings.
All the solemn pledges of love.	山盟海誓	shān méng hǎi shì	shan meng hae shyh	Used to refer to a lover’s commitment of eternal loyalty.
With the liver and bowel broken into pieces.	肝肠寸断	gān cháng cùn duàn	gan charng tsuenn duann	This saying describes the feeling of having a broken heart
Only when the edges of the mountains have been rubbed down, the sky and the ground are in one, I dare to say ” Farewell ” to you.	山无棱，天地合，乃敢与君绝	shān wú léng, tiān dì hé, nǎi gǎn yǔ jūn jué	shan wu leng tian dih her nae gaan yeu jiun jyue	Used to express that you are willing to love someone until the end of days.
Fly side by side.	比翼双飞	bǐ yì shuāng fēi	bii yih shuang fei	Used to refer to a happy couple.
Deep conjugal love.	伉俪情深	kàng lì qíng shēn	kanq lih chyng shen	Used to refer to a happy married couple.
Forever.	天长地久	tiān cháng dì jiǔ	tian charng dih jeou	As everlasting as the universe
A very loving couple.	结发为夫妻，恩爱两不疑	jié fà wéi fū qī，ēn ài liǎng bù yí	jye fah wei fu chi ay leang buh yi	Used to refer to a couple very much in love.
Have eyes only for someone.	情有独钟	qíng yǒu dú zhōng	chyng yeou dwu jong
Love is more solid than gold.	情比金坚	qíng bǐ jīn jiān	chyng bii jin jian
If love between both sides can last for a long time, why need they stay together night and day?	两情若是久长时，又岂在朝朝暮暮	liǎng qíng ruò shì jiǔ cháng shí，yòu qǐ zài zhāo zhāo mù mù	leang chyng ruoh shyh jeou charng shyr chii tzay jau jau muh muh	Durable love lasts without living together day and night.
Always in my dreams.	魂牵梦萦	hún qiān mèng yíng	hwen chian menq yng
Live to old age in conjugal bliss.	白头偕老	bái tóu xié lǎo	bair tour shye lao
The games of childhood, hence, the period when a boy and a girl grew up together.	青梅竹马	qīng méi zhú mǎ	ching mei jwu maa	Used to refer to couples who have been together since childhood.
Every cloud has a silver lining.	守得云开见月明	shǒu dé yún kāi jiàn yuè míng	shoou der yun kai jiann yueh ming
My clothes grow daily looser, yet care I not. For I languish and suffer for her willingly.	衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴	yī dài jiàn kuān zhōng bù huǐ，wèi yī xiāo dé rén qiáo cuì	i day jiann kuan jong buh hoei i shiau der ren chyau tsuey	Used to describe the suffering from being lovesick.
A harmonious union lasting a hundred years.	百年好合	bǎi nián hǎo hé	bae nian hao her	Used to bless newlywed couples.
A man's outstanding talent, a woman's beauty.	郎才女貌	láng cái nǚ mào	lang tsair neu maw	Used to describe a perfect match.

Romantic serenades: Chinese songs about love

Romantic souls out there will agree that words are sometimes not enough to express your true feelings. That’s why there are so many love songs out there: to express what words can hardly convey. Here are some standout romantic lines from some of China’s most popular love songs. If you feel like checking out the whole song, then you can click on the song’s title in the table below. We’ve included YouTube links to all songs for your convenience!

Singer	Song	Lyrics	Pinyin	Pronunciation	Translation
邓丽君	月亮代表我的心	我的情也真，我的爱也真，月亮代表我的心	wǒ de qíng yě zhēn, wǒ de ài yě zhēn, yuè liàng dài biǎo wǒ de xīn	woo .de chyng yee jen woo de ay yee jen yueh lianq day beau woo .de shin	My affection is real. My love is real. The moon represents my heart.
邓丽君	甜蜜蜜	甜蜜蜜，你笑得甜蜜蜜，好像花儿开在春风里	tián mì mì, nǐ xiào dé tián mì mì, hǎo xiàng huā er kāi zài chūn fēng lǐ	tyan mih mih nii shiaw der tyan mih mih hao shianq hua .el kai tzay chuen feng lii	Sweet honey, you smile so very sweetly that looks like blooming flowers in spring.
庾澄庆	情非得已	难以忘记初次见你，一双迷人的眼睛	nán yǐ wàng jì chū cì jiàn nǐ, yī shuāng mí rén de yǎn jīng	nan yii wanq jih chu tsyh jiann nii i shuang mi ren de yean jing	It's hard to forget the first time I saw you, a pair of charming eyes.
陶喆 蔡依林	今天你要嫁给我	手牵手，跟我一起走，过着安定的生活	shǒu qiān shǒu, gēn wǒ yī qǐ zǒu, guò zhe ān dìng de shēng huó	shoou chian shoou gen woo i chii tzoou guoh je an dinq de sheng hwo	[Let's] hold hands, walk together with me. [Let's] live a peaceful life.
孙燕姿	遇见	我遇见你，是最美丽的意外	wǒ yù jiàn nǐ, shì zuì měi lì de yì wài	woo yuh jiann nii shyh tzuey meei lih de yih way	Meeting you is the most beautiful accident.
蔡健雅	Beautiful Love	我们勇敢的爱着，每秒钟，都能证明，一生的美丽	wǒ men yǒng gǎn de ài zhe, měi miǎo zhōng, dōu néng zhèng míng, yī shēng de měi lì	woo .mhen yeong gaan de ay je meei meau jong dou neng jenq ming i sheng dih meei lih	We are loving courageously, every second can prove the beauty of a lifetime.
周杰伦	告白气球	亲爱的, 爱上你, 从那天起, 甜蜜的很轻易	qīn ài de, ài shàng nǐ, cóng nà tiān qǐ, tián mì de hěn qīng yì	chin ay de ay shanq nii tsorng na tian chii tyan mih de heen ching yih	My dear, I was in love with you since the day my happiness came so easily.
莫文蔚	慢慢喜欢你	慢慢喜欢你, 慢慢的回忆, 慢慢的陪你慢慢的老去	màn man xǐ huān nǐ, màn man de huí yì, màn man de péi nǐ màn man de lǎo qù	mann mhan shii huan nii mann mhan de hwei yih mann mhan de peir nii mann mhan de lao chiuh	Liking you slowly, reminiscing slowly, growing older with you slowly.
邓紫棋	光年之外	也许未来遥远在光年之外, 我愿守候未知里为你等待	yě xǔ wèi lái yáo yuǎn zài guāng nián zhī wài, wǒ yuàn shǒu hòu wèi zhī lǐ wèi nǐ děng dài	yee sheu wey lai yau yeuan tzay guang nian jy way woo yuann shoou how wey jy lii wei nii deeng da	Perhaps the future is still far away in light years, I'm willing to wait and guard you for the unknown future.

Fun facts about love in Chinese

Chinese Valentine’s Day: 七夕 Qi Xi

Chinese Valentine’s Day commemorates the love story between Zhinü, the weaver girl who weaves rosy clouds in the sky, and Niulang, the cowherd in the mortal world. One day Zhinü became tired of her life in the sky and decided to descend to the mortal world. She met Niulang and, according to the legend, they fell in love.

However, the celestial laws forbade this union and, upon discovering the romance, Queen Mother forced Zhinü back to her former duty in heaven of weaving colorful clouds, and punished the couple by separating them by a river of stars. Moved by the love story between the two, Queen Mother decided to allow them to see each other once every year: on the seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. That’s why Chinese Valentine’s Day is celebrated on this day!

The romantic story behind Chinese Valentine's Day

If you prefer to visualize the beautiful story of the weaver girl and the cowherd, check out the following video that will narrate the beautiful story with gorgeous visuals:

Classic Chinese love stories

Along with the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, there are three other famous love stories that make up China's Four Great Folktales. While these stories don’t have a specific festival like Qi Xi, they do have a special place in the heart of every romantic’s heart. Keep in mind that these stories are old legends, so there are many variations of them with slightly different endings. Let’s take a brief look at each of them.

The Butterfly Lovers

Often considered to be China’s version of Romeo and Juliet, the Butterfly Lovers story revolves around the love of Liang Shanbo (梁山伯 - liáng shān bó) and Zhu Yingtai (祝英台 - zhù yīng tái), which is why it’s often abbreviated in Chinese as Liang Zhu (梁祝 - liáng zhù). Set in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317–420), Zhu Yingtai convinces her wealthy father to let her disguise herself as a man to pursue academic studies in Hangzhou. Upon her arrival in Hangzhou, Zhu Yingtai meets Liang Shanbo and they become best friends immediately.

Over her three years of studies in Hangzhou, Zhu Yingtai eventually develops feelings for Liang Shanbo and decides to marry him. One day, she receives a letter from her father asking her to head back home immediately. Zhu comes up with a plan for Liang that he should visit her home so he could marry his sister so she could marry him herself. However, Liang comes home too late and Zhu’s father had already promised her hand in marriage to the son of a wealthy man.

However, Zhu and Liang promised to live together after death if they couldn’t live together while alive. When Liang passed away, Zhu went to visit his grave and wept for hours. The grave suddenly opened, as if by an act of magic, and Zhu jumped in. They both later emerged from the grave as butterflies, which gives the story its name.

Legend of the White Snake

This legend tells the story of Bai Suzhen (白素贞 - bái sù zhēn), a white snake spirit that turned itself into a woman, and Xu Xian (许仙 - xǔ xiān), a scholar. They fell in love, got married, had a child, and lived happily together — all until monk Fa Hai (法海 - fǎ hǎi), who had magical powers, discovered that Bai Suzhen was a snake. Although he tried to warn Xu Xian about his wife to get them to separate, he was madly in love and refused to do so.

Monk Fa Hai tried to separate them by imprisoning Xu Xian in a temple. To rescue her husband, Bai Suzhen and her sister used their power to flood the temple, but she was eventually imprisoned by Fahai in a pagoda. Twenty years later, their son topped the imperial examination and went to the pagoda to pay respect to his mother. His filial piety moved Heaven, who freed Bai Suzhen from the pagoda. The family was finally reunited.

Lady Meng Jiang

The legend of Lady Meng Jiang (孟姜女, mèng jiāng nǚ) narrates how her husband got sent to the construction of the Great Wall by Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty. After not hearing back from him for many months, she decided to set out for the Great Wall to bring her husband some warm clothes to endure the winter.

However, upon her arrival, she found out that her husband had died in the construction. She wept so much and for so long that her tears collapsed a section of the wall, revealing the bones of her estranged husband.

Time to go out and show your love in Chinese

Now you know not only 186 unique ways to express love in Chinese, but you also know the correct context for when to use the right words to land the right meaning. Although expressing love directly in Chinese isn’t as common, you won’t be missing the famous three words with so many creative ways to show affection.

If you enjoyed this article and feel confident in your ability to share your love in Chinese, then make sure to check out our Mandarin Chinese blog. We regularly publish super helpful and easy-to-follow guides to exciting topics in Chinese, like 180+ colors in Chinese and phrases for a Chinese resume.