情人
qíngrén
The Chinese word for lover is 情人 (qíngrén).
The term 情人 refers to a lover or sexual partner. While it can describe a romantic partner, in many contexts it carries a connotation of an extramarital affair or a mistress/paramour. For standard, non-scandalous romantic relationships, speakers typically use the terms 男朋友 (boyfriend) or 女朋友 (girlfriend) instead.
Meaning: sexual partner (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 情 (qíng), meaning feeling or emotion and 人 (rén), meaning person.
Which one should you use?
情人 is often used to imply a romantic or sexual relationship that exists outside of marriage. This contrasts with 愛人 (àiren), which in mainland China is commonly used to mean 'spouse'. To describe a standard romantic partner without the connotation of an affair, use 男朋友 (boyfriend) or 女朋友 (girlfriend). If you wish to be more formal when referring to a significant other, partner or companion, you may use 伴侣. For a formal context specifically involving a romantic or passionate relationship, 恋人 is also used.
How do you pronounce it?
qíngrén
Did you know?
- The term 情人節 (qíngrén jié) is the Chinese name for Valentine's Day, using the 'lover' word that often implies an affair to describe a general holiday of love.
- In mainland China, calling someone your 愛人 (àiren) is a neutral way to say 'spouse', but in Taiwan or Hong Kong, this word can sound overly passionate or suggestive of a 'lover'.
- The character 情 (qíng) in 情人 is also the root of 情景 (qíngjǐng), which means 'scene' or 'situation', linking the idea of emotion to a specific moment in time.
Examples in context
- 有人看見他和情人在飯店吃飯。She was seen at a restaurant with her lover.This sentence shows how 情人 is used to describe a person seen at a restaurant with a lover.Tatoeba #9929794 by xjjAstrus, translation #1214426 by CM
- 历史是生活的情人。History is life's lover.This sentence uses 情人 in a metaphorical sense to describe history as life's lover.Tatoeba #829353 by fucongcong, translation #7798486 by sharris123
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Yuting are discussing a celebrity scandal.
- 志强 Zhiqiang你看到那个新闻了吗？他有情人。Nǐ kàndào nàge xīnwén le ma? Tā yǒu qíngrén.Did you see that news? He has a lover.
- 雨婷 Yuting真的吗？他不是结婚了吗？Zhēnde ma? Tā bùshì jiéhūn le ma?Really? Isn't he married?
- 志强 Zhiqiang对，但他的情人就在那个城市。Duì, dàn tā de qíngrén jiù zài nàge chéngshì.Yes, but his lover is in that city.
- 雨婷 Yuting天呐，这件事太震惊了。Tiān na, zhè jiàn shì tài zhènjīng le.Oh my god, this is so shocking.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lover” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
