做愛 / 做爱
zuò'ài
The English phrase 'make love' is translated into Chinese as 做愛 / 做爱 (zuò'ài). If unsure, use 做愛 / 做爱. Wiktionary also lists 作愛 / 作爱 (zuò'ài).
Meaning: to engage in sexual intercourse (verb)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 做愛 / 做爱 | zuò'ài |
| 作愛 / 作爱 | zuò'ài |
做愛 / 做爱 is a direct and standard way to describe the act of sexual intercourse. While the English 'make love' can sometimes imply a romantic or gentle act, the Chinese term is used to describe the act itself.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb 做 (zuò), meaning 'to do' or 'to make' and the noun 愛 (ài), meaning 'love'.
How do you pronounce it?
zuò'ài
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers might mistakenly use the verb 愛 alone to mean 'to have sex', but in Chinese, 愛 primarily refers to the emotion of love.
Did you know?
- The phrase 做愛 is a modern linguistic calque, meaning it was essentially constructed to mirror the English expression 'make love' rather than evolving from ancient Chinese concepts.
- While 做愛 is the standard term, Chinese often uses the euphemism 啪啪啪 (pā pā pā) in internet slang to describe the act through the sound of clapping.
- In some older or more formal contexts, one might see the term 雲雨 (clouds and rain), a poetic metaphor used in classical literature to describe sexual intercourse.
Examples in context
- 他们在关系稳定后开始发生关系。They started to make love after their relationship became stable.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “make love” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 做愛, CC BY-SA 4.0.
