người yêu
[ŋɨəj˨˩ ʔiəw˧˧]
The Vietnamese word for lover is người yêu.
người yêu is most commonly used to mean a romantic boyfriend or girlfriend in a general sense, though it can also refer to a sexual partner. The term is gender-neutral and applies to both males and females.
Meaning: sexual partner (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of người, meaning person and yêu, meaning to love.
Which one should you use?
While người yêu can mean a sexual partner, it is most frequently used to describe a romantic boyfriend or girlfriend. If you are referring to an engaged male partner, use Vị hôn phu and if you are referring to an engaged female partner, use Vị hôn thê.
How does it change in a sentence?
Couples in Vietnam often use specific pronouns to indicate the relative age or gender of their partner: anh is used for a male partner, chị is used for a female partner who is slightly older and em is a common pronoun used to indicate a younger partner.
Did you know?
- Vietnamese romantic language is deeply tied to family hierarchy, meaning a lover is often addressed with terms that would also be used for an older brother or younger sibling.
- The word yêu likely evolved from a Chinese word meaning 'charming' or 'graceful'.
Examples in context
- Tom là một người yêu mèo.Tom is a cat lover.This sentence shows how to use người yêu to describe a cat lover.Tatoeba #9090781 by dotheduyet1999, translation #5902894 by CK
- Tôi không phải một người yêu mèo.I'm not a cat lover.This sentence shows how to negate the phrase with người yêu.Tatoeba #9736712 by dotheduyet1999, translation #9199399 by CK
- Trong khi anh ta đang đau khổ thì cô ta có người yêu mới.She takes a new lover while he is in anguish.This sentence uses người yêu in the context of a new lover.Tatoeba #1280964 by sokhanh03, translation #1280967 by sokhanh03
- Em là người yêu của anhYou are my lover.
- Vị hôn phu của emMy fiance
- Người yêu ơiMy love
- Ông xã đáng yêuAdorable husband
- Anh là người yêu của em, với anh, em muốn xây dựng một tương lai hạnh phúc.You are my lover, and with you, I want to build a happy future.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tuan and Mai are talking about a mutual friend's relationship.
- TuấnAnh ấy vừa mới chia tay người yêu.He just broke up with his lover.
- MaiThật sao? Họ đã yêu nhau lâu chưa?Really? Had they been together for long?
- TuấnNgười yêu anh ấy là một ca sĩ.His lover is a singer.
- MaiHèn chi họ thường xuyên cãi nhau.No wonder they argued frequently.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry người yêu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries người, người yêu, yêu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
