约会
yuēhuì
In Chinese, the English phrase 'date' is translated as 约会 (yuēhuì).
In modern Chinese, 约会 is almost exclusively used to describe romantic or social outings between people, rather than a calendar date.
Meaning: point in time (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 约 (yuē), meaning 'to agree/appointment' and 会 (huì), meaning 'to meet/gather'.
Which one should you use?
While 约会 refers to a romantic date, it is distinct from 预约 (yùyuē), which refers to a professional appointment or reservation. 日期 (rì qī) is a formal term for 'date' referring to a specific day on the calendar.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 约会 can function as both a verb (to date) and a noun (a date) in a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
yuēhuì
Did you know?
- In Chinese, the concept of 'dating' is often expressed as 谈恋爱 (tán liàn'ài), which literally means 'discussing love'.
- While 约会 describes the outing, the term 相亲 (xiāngqīn) is used for a 'blind date' specifically arranged by parents to lead to marriage.
- The component 约 (yuē) is also found in the word for 'contract' or 'agreement', highlighting that a 'date' is essentially a social contract to meet.
Examples in context
- 汤姆以前和我女儿约会。Tom used to date my daughter.This sentence shows how to use 约会 as a verb describing a past relationship.Tatoeba #9963188 by GlossaMatik, translation #3921523 by CK
- 你觉得我明天约会穿什么好呢？What do you think I should wear on my date tomorrow?This sentence shows how to use 约会 as a noun to refer to an upcoming event.Tatoeba #4640140 by olive_wang, translation #4635828 by CK
- 我父母不让我和男生约会。My parents won't let me date.This sentence shows how to use 约会 as a general verb for dating.Tatoeba #464776 by fucongcong, translation #1496250 by weihaiping
- 请问您可以提供下个星期一的日期吗？Excuse me, can you provide the date for next Monday?
- 我们可以安排一个约会吗？Can we arrange a date?
- 我们今天晚上一起出去吧！Let's go out together tonight!
- 我想邀请你和我一起看电影，作为我们的第一次约会。I'd like to invite you to watch a movie with me as our first date.
- 你今天晚上有空吗？我们可以去喝咖啡。Are you free tonight? We can go for coffee together.
- 咱们打算什么时间举行会议呢？请提供一个具体的日期。When are we planning to have the meeting? Please provide a specific date.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Yuting are talking about their weekend plans.
- 志强 Zhiqiang你这个周末有约会吗？Nǐ zhège zhōumò yǒu yuēhuì ma?Do you have a date this weekend?
- 雨婷 Yuting没有，我打算在家里休息。Méiyǒu, wǒ dǎsuàn zài jiālǐ xiūxi.No, I plan to rest at home.
- 志强 Zhiqiang那我们一起去喝咖啡吧。Nà wǒmen yìqǐ qù hē kāfēi ba.Then let's go grab a coffee together.
- 雨婷 Yuting好啊，这算是一次约会吗？Hǎo a, zhè suànshì yí cì yuēhuì ma?Sure, does this count as a date?
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
