Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 情侣 | qínglǚ |
| 伴侶 / 伴侣 | bànlǚ |
| 一對 / 一对 | yīduì |
| 夫妻 | fūqī |
| 夫婦 / 夫妇 | fūfù |
Because Chinese distinguishes between different types of relationships, you must choose a term based on whether the couple is dating, married or simply a pair of things. For general romantic relationships, especially involving young people, 情侣 is the most common term. If you are referring to a married couple, you should use 夫妻 or 夫妇. To describe a life partner in a more formal or literary sense, use 伴侣. In everyday conversation, 一对 can be used to mean "a couple" or "a pair" and can apply to any set of two things. If you want to express warmth and familiarity, such as when speaking with friends or family, you can use the variation 一对儿.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 一对 literally means "one pair" and functions as a measure word phrase to quantify a couple or a pair.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the social status of the pair: 情侣 refers specifically to romantic partners who are dating but not necessarily married, whereas 夫妻 refers specifically to a married couple consisting of a husband and wife. While 情侣 is common for young people, 伴侣 is a more formal or literary way to say "life partner." Finally, 一对 is a general term for any pair or set of things.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
qínglǚ
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of a 'couple' is often symbolized by the 鸳鸯 or Mandarin ducks, which are believed to mate for life.
- In modern slang, the word CP (borrowed from the English 'couple pairing') is frequently used by fans to describe their favorite fictional or celebrity couples.
- In China, the term 情侣 is often used to describe 'couple's activities', such as 情侣装, which refers to matching outfits worn by partners to signal their relationship publicly.
Examples in context
- 這對夫妻手牽手走路。The couple is walking hand in hand.This sentence is useful for showing how to use the term 夫妻 to describe a married couple.Tatoeba #895136 by Martha, translation #280933 by CK
- 他们是一对幸福的夫妇。They are a happy couple.
- 这对伉俪已经结婚五年。This couple has been married for five years.
- 我们是一对快乐的夫妻。We are a happy couple.
- 他们俩是一对儿幸福的恋人。They are a happy couple in love.
Example conversation
Wei and Xiaowen are looking at a photo of their friends.
- 伟 Wei你看，這對情侣拍照很漂亮。Nǐ kàn, zhè duì qínglǚ pāizhào hěn piàoliang.Look, this couple looks beautiful in the photo.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen是的，他們真的很般配。Shì de, tāmen zhēnde hěn bānpèi.Yes, they really match each other.
- 伟 Wei他們在一起很久了嗎？Tāmen zài yīqǐ hěn jiǔ le ma?Have they been together for a long time?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen大概有三年時間了。Dàgài yǒu sān nián shíjiān le.About three years now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “couple” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
