帅哥
shuàigē
The English word "beau" can be translated into Chinese as 帅哥 (shuàigē).
帅哥 literally means a handsome man, but it is frequently used as a generic, polite way to address a young male stranger. In service contexts, it functions similarly to addressing someone as "young man" or "sir".
Meaning: dandy (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 帅 (shuài), meaning handsome and 哥 (gē), meaning older brother or guy.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Addressing someone as 帅哥 is informal and can be used playfully or as a way to get a stranger's attention in casual settings like markets or restaurants.
How do you pronounce it?
shuàigē
When do people say it?
While 帅哥 is a common way to address males, other terms exist for specific relationships: 男朋友 (nán péngyǒu) is a common term for "boyfriend" used in both formal and informal settings, 对象 (duì xiàng) is used to mean "partner" or "significant other" and 老公 (lǎo gōng) is an informal term used to refer to a boyfriend or husband.
Did you know?
- If a man is exceptionally handsome, he might be called a 小鲜肉 (xiǎo xiān ròu) or 'little fresh meat', a term popularized by youth culture and celebrity fandoms.
- While 帅哥 is the standard modern term, the classical Chinese equivalent for a handsome man often focused on 玉 (yù) or 'jade' to describe a man's refined quality.
- Because 帅哥 is gendered toward males, women often use the counterpart 美女 (měinǚ), meaning 'beautiful woman', to achieve the same friendly, service-oriented effect when addressing female strangers.
Examples in context
- 他是我的男友。He is my beau.
- 她有一个男朋友。She has a beau.
- 我的老公很帅。My beau is very handsome.
Example conversation
Two friends are walking through a shopping mall.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你看那边那个帅哥！Nǐ kàn nàbiān nàge shuàigē!Look at that dandy over there!
- 浩然 Haoran谁？我没看到。Shéi? Wǒ méi kàndào.Who? I didn't see him.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen就是穿西装的那个帅哥。Jiùshì chuān xīzhuāng de nàge shuàigē.The dandy wearing the suit.
- 浩然 Haoran确实挺帅的。Quèshí tǐng shuài de.He is indeed quite handsome.
