女朋友
nǚpéngyǒu
The Chinese word for girlfriend is 女朋友 (nǚpéngyǒu). Wiktionary also lists 對象 / 对象 (duìxiàng).
Meaning: a female partner in a romantic relationship (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 女朋友 | nǚpéngyǒu | |
| 對象 / 对象 | duìxiàng | gender neutral |
The term 女朋友 is used to describe a female partner in a romantic relationship. While it literally translates to a female friend, it almost always implies a romantic connection rather than a platonic one.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 女朋友 is composed of 女, meaning female and 朋友, meaning friend.
Which one should you use?
女朋友 is gender-specific, referring specifically to a woman. In contrast, 对象 is a gender-neutral term used to refer to a romantic partner, a significant other or someone one is dating or intended to marry.
How do you pronounce it?
nǚpéngyǒu
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to use 女朋友 to mean a platonic female friend, as it almost always implies a romantic relationship.
Did you know?
- The word 女朋友 is a linguistic calque, meaning it was constructed by translating the English concept of 'girlfriend' into Chinese characters.
- The term 对象 literally means 'object' or 'target'. In a romantic context, it describes a person who is the 'object' of one's affection or a target for marriage.
- If you want to refer to a platonic female friend without any romantic confusion, you should use 女性朋友 instead of the shorter 女朋友.
Examples in context
- 他没有女朋友。He has no girlfriend.This sentence is useful for stating that someone does not have a girlfriend.Tatoeba #432313 by GlossaMatik, translation #284658 by CK
- 我女朋友哭了。My girlfriend cried.This sentence is useful for describing an action taken by a girlfriend.Tatoeba #3701816 by egg0073, translation #7770417 by sharris123
- 你女朋友是谁？Who's your girlfriend?This sentence is useful for asking someone to identify their girlfriend.Tatoeba #4473139 by yuiyu, translation #2240401 by Hybrid
- 我的 女朋友 是一位医生。My girlfriend is a doctor.
- 他的 女友 很漂亮，大家都喜欢她。His girlfriend is beautiful, and everyone likes her.
- 58 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a cafe, Zhiqiang introduces his girlfriend to Zihan.
- 志强 Zhiqiang梓涵，这是我女朋友。Zǐhán, zhè shì wǒ nǚpéngyǒu.Zihan, this is my girlfriend.
- 梓涵 Zihan你好，很高兴认识你。Nǐ hǎo, hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.Hello, nice to meet you.
- 志强 Zhiqiang她也是我的好朋友。Tā yě shì wǒ de hǎo péngyǒu.She is also my good friend.
- 梓涵 Zihan你们两个很般配。Nǐmen liǎng gè hěn bānpèi.You two look great together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “girlfriend” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 女朋友, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
