Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 丈夫 | zhàngfu | /ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵¹ fu¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵¹ fu⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Taiwan, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 愛人 / 爱人 | àirén | ||
| 相公 | xiànggōng | /ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹ g̊ʊŋ¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Mainland China, standard, Taiwan, variant, Sinological IPA) /ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Taiwan, standard, Sinological IPA) |
literary |
| 翁 | ang | /aŋ⁵⁵/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Tong'an, Zhangpu, Philippines, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) /aŋ³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Tong'an, Zhangpu, Philippines, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
| 翁婿 | ang-sài | /aŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ sai¹¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Singapore, Taichung, Yilan, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese) /aŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ sai²¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Singapore, Taichung, Yilan, Sinological IPA, Kaohsiung, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
| 丈夫 | tiōng-hu | /tiɔŋ³³⁻¹¹ hu⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese) /tiɔŋ²²⁻²¹ hu⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
| 先生 | sian-seⁿ/sian-siⁿ | /siɛn⁴⁴⁻²² sĩ⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Tong'an, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Lukang, Kinmen, Singapore, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu) /siɛn³³ sĩ³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Tong'an, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Lukang, Kinmen, Singapore, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu) |
Hokkien |
| 老公 | /lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /lou̯¹³ kʊŋ⁵⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
colloquial, regional |
In Chinese, several terms can be used to refer to a male partner in marriage depending on the level of formality and the specific linguistic context. While 丈夫 is a standard term, 爱人 is commonly used in mainland China as a gender-neutral term meaning spouse, even though it might translate to 'lover' in other contexts. In very casual spoken Mandarin, 老公 is a widely used term for husband.
Which one should you use?
The term 爱人 functions as a gender-neutral way to say 'spouse' in mainland China. For a more traditional or literary feel, one might encounter the archaic term 相公, which is often found in period dramas. In Hokkien, several different forms exist, such as 翁, 翁婿 and 丈夫.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
丈夫 is a formal term often used in written contexts or official descriptions. For a polite way to refer to someone else's husband, you can use 先生, which carries a sense of respect similar to 'Mr.' or 'my gentleman'. In casual spoken Mandarin, 老公 is the most common informal way to say husband. If you want to be playful, some wives use the informal term 老头子 to jokingly refer to their husbands as 'old man'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term 老公 is a common regional and colloquial choice in Mandarin. In Dungan, you can use нанжын, җонфу or лохан. In Hokkien, you can use 翁, 翁婿 or 丈夫.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 丈夫 is zhàngfu.
When do people say it?
Wives may sometimes use the informal and joking term 老头子 to refer to their husbands.
Did you know?
- The character 翁 originally represented 'feathers' or 'wings' before it was used to refer to an 'old man' or a husband.
- While 先生 is used as a polite term for 'husband', it is also the standard word for 'teacher' in Chinese.
- The term 老公 contains the character 老, meaning 'old', yet it is used by young couples and newlywed wives.
Examples in context
- 我丈夫是教授。My husband is a professor.This sentence uses 丈夫 to show how to identify a profession.Tatoeba #8671298 by crescat, translation #8780249 by weihaiping
- 那是玛丽的丈夫。That's Mary's husband.This sentence uses 丈夫 to identify someone else's husband.Tatoeba #8514570 by gumblex, translation #7453389 by CK
- 给我老公打电话。Call my husband.This sentence uses 老公 to demonstrate a casual command.Tatoeba #10199327 by slo_oth, translation #1730012 by CM
- 亲爱的，你对我真好，谢谢你，老公。Darling, you're so good to me, thank you, my husband.
- 老头子，你什么时候回家？Hey, old man, when are you coming home?
- 52 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Xiaowen is introducing Wei to a colleague.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen这是我的丈夫，伟。Zhè shì wǒ de zhàngfu, Wěi.This is my husband, Wei.
- 伟 Wei你好，很高兴认识你。Nǐ hǎo, hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.Hello, it's very nice to meet you.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen他也是一名工程师。Tā yě shì yī míng gōngchéngshī.He is also an engineer.
- 伟 Wei太巧了，我也是。Tài qiǎo le, wǒ yě shì.What a coincidence, I am too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “husband” translations and entries 丈夫, 相公, 翁, 翁婿, 丈夫, 先生, 老公, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 翁, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
