If you live in China and don’t speak any Chinese you are limiting your dating opportunities to a small minority of English speakers.  Dating in particular is a place where foreign men need to improve their Chinese vocabulary.  Being able to hold a five minute conversation with a local girl is a critical skill for any single expat man who has lived a couple years in Shanghai.  In this Chinese slang blog post, we take you past the boyfriend/girlfriend stage and move into more advanced dating vocabulary such as the Chinese words for blind date, jealously and throwing a tantrum.  After reading this post, you should be better prepared to talk to a local Chinese girl that you are trying to talk to at a bar.   

女朋友-nǚ péng yǒu-Girlfriend (Noun)

Literal Translation-Female friend

我昨晚没给女朋友打电话，她很生气。

wǒ zuówǎn méi gěi nǚpéngyǒu dǎdiànhuà，tā hěn shēngqì。

My girlfriend was angry when I didn’t call her last night.

男朋友-nán péng yǒu-Boyfriend (Noun)

Literal Translation-Male friend

我的男朋友去我的家乡见了我的父母。

wǒde nánpéngyǒu qù wǒde jiāxiāng jiàn le wǒde fùmǔ。

My boyfriend came to my hometown to meet my parents.

谈恋爱-tán liàn ài-To date, have a relationship with (Verb)

Literal Translation-Talk about love

我想和那个女孩谈恋爱。

wǒ xiǎng hé nàgè nǚhái tánliànài。

I have wanted to go on a date with that girl for a long time.

马子-mǎ zi-Girlfriend (Noun)

Literal Translation-Horse

我马子为我做饭，还打扫了房间。

wǒ mǎzǐ wèi wǒ zuòfàn，hái dǎsǎo le fángjiān。

My girlfriend cooks for me and cleans my house.

约会-yuē huì-To date (Verb, Noun)

Literal Translation-Arrange meeting

我和我女朋友从大学的时候就开始约会了。

wǒ hé wǒ nǚpéngyǒu cóng dàxué de shíhòu jiù kāishǐ yuēhuì le。

I started dating my girlfriend when we were both in university.

调情-tiáo qíng-To flirt or kid around with (Verb)

Literal Translation-Mix passion

我对她调情，然后她把电话号码给我了。

wǒ duì tā tiáoqíng，ránhòu tā bǎ diànhuàhàomǎ gěi wǒ le。

I started flirting with her and then she gave me her number.

AA制-AA zhì-Going Dutch (Noun)

Literal Translation-AA system

在中国随着女人收入的提高，AA制已经变得更加普遍。

zài zhōngguó suí zhe nǚrén shōurù de tígāo，AA zhì yǐjīng biàn de gèngjiā pǔbiàn。

“Going Dutch” has become more common in China as women’s incomes rise.

相亲-xiāng qīn –Blind date (Verb)

Literal Translation-Look kiss

一个媒婆让我去和她的一个朋友相亲。

yígè méipó ràng wǒ qù hé tā de yígè péngyǒu xiāngqīn。

A female matchmaker sent me on a blind date with her friend.

重色轻友-zhòng sè qīng yǒu-Put your boyfriend/girlfriend above your friends (Verb)

Literal Translation-Heavy color light friend

你真是重色轻友。

nǐ zhēnshì zhòngsèqīngyǒu。

You always put your boyfriend above your friends.

媒婆-méi pó-A female matchmaker (Noun)

她是世界上最好的媒婆，她为我设计了和三个正妹的相亲。

tā shì shìjièshàng zuìhǎo de mé pó，tā wèi wǒ shèjì le hé sāngè zhèngmèi de xiāngqīn。

She is the world’s best matchmaker. She set me up with three blind dates all with gorgeous women.

大媒人-dà méi rén-A matchmaker (Noun)

Literal Translation-Big matchmaker

你真是个大媒人，你为我找了一个女朋友。

nǐ zhēn shì gè dàméirén，nǐ wèi wǒ zhǎo le yígè nǚpéngyǒu。

You are a good matchmaker because you found me a girlfriend.

撒娇-sā jiāo-Throw a tantrum (Verb)

Literal Translation-Spill tender

她非常讨厌，只要她不能得逞的时候就会撒娇。

tā fēicháng tǎoyàn，zhǐyào tā bùnéng déchěng de shíhòu jiù huì sājiāo。

She is extremely annoying. She will throw a tantrum if she doesn’t get her way.

不来电-bù lái diàn-Has no chemistry with (Verb)

Literal Translation-No come electricity

我和她没戏，因为我对她一直不来电。

wǒ hé tā méixì，yīnwèi wǒ duì tā yìzhí bùláidiàn。

We never got serious because I never felt the chemistry between us.

吃醋-chī cù-To be jealous, to be envious (Verb)

Literal Translation-Eat vinegar

当所有的男孩都想得到我的电话号码的时候他吃醋了。

dāng suǒyǒu de nánhái dōu xiǎng dé dào wǒ de diànhuàhàomǎ de shíhòu tā chīcù le。

He got jealous when all of the boys were trying to get my phone number.

初恋-chū liàn-First relationship, first love (Noun)

Literal Translation-Original love

我永远也忘不了她，她是我的初恋。

wǒ yǒngyuǎn yě wàngbùliǎo tā，tā shì wǒde chūliàn。

I could never forget her. She was my first love.

青梅竹马-qīng méi zhú mǎ-Childhood sweetheart (Noun)

Literal Translation-Green plum bamboo horse

我们是青梅竹马，我们从中学就开始约会了。

wǒmén shì qīngméizhúmǎ，wǒmén cóng zhōngxué jiù kāishǐ yuēhuì le。

We are childhood sweethearts because we have been dating since middle school.