亲爱的
qīn'ài de
The English word 'dear' is translated into Mandarin as 亲爱的 (qīn'ài de).
亲爱的 is used to describe someone who is loved or lovable. It is commonly employed in informal situations to express affection among close friends or family members.
Meaning: loved, lovable (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 亲 (close/relation), 爱 (love) and 的 (possessive/adjectival particle).
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle 的 (de) at the end of the phrase turns the verb-based concept of 'loving' into an adjective that can modify a noun or stand alone as a term of endearment.
How do you pronounce it?
qīn'ài de
Did you know?
- The shortened form 亲 (qīn) is so widely used in Chinese e-commerce that customer service representatives often address customers as 亲 (qīn) instead of using their actual names.
- The character 爱 (ài) is written differently in Simplified Chinese than in Traditional Chinese, where the traditional form includes the character for 'heart' (心) in the middle.
- While 亲爱的 is the translation for 'dear', Chinese speakers often avoid using this specific phrase in face-to-face speech with parents, preferring specific titles like 'Mom' or 'Dad'.
Examples in context
- 亲爱的，你把我迷住了。You captivated me, dear.Tatoeba #8794842 by slo_oth, translation #698757 by papabear
- 亲爱的，给客人端点咖啡吧。Please serve the guests some coffee, dear.Tatoeba #4265178 by notabene, translation #4770642 by garborg
- 我亲爱的妈妈My dear mother.This sentence illustrates how 亲爱的 can be used to modify a noun, such as 'mother'.Tatoeba #2201215 by abidaomak, translation #2202414 by FeuDRenais2
- 敬爱的叶局长，感谢您给予我们的机会。Dear Director Ye, Thank you for giving us this opportunity.
- 尊敬的王总裁，我写信是为了邀请您参加我们的活动。Dear President Wang, I am writing to invite you to our event.
- 宝贝，你是我生活中最重要的人。Darling, you are the most important person in my life.
Example conversation
A couple is having a quiet evening at home.
- 浩然 Haoran亲爱的，你想喝什么？Qīn'àide, nǐ xiǎng hē shénme?Dear, what would you like to drink?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen一杯热茶就可以了。Yì bēi rè chá jiù kěyǐ le.A cup of hot tea would be fine.
- 浩然 Haoran好，我这就去准备。Hǎo, wǒ zhè jiù qù zhǔnbèi.Okay, I will go prepare it now.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen谢谢你，亲爱的。Xièxiè nǐ, qīn'ài de.Thank you, dear.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
