夫妇
fū fù
The English phrase "mr. And mrs." is translated into Chinese as 夫妇 (fū fù).
The term 夫妇 is used as a collective noun to refer to a married couple, rather than as individual titles like 'Mr.' or 'Mrs.' used separately.
Meaning: Title of a married couple (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "Mr. and Mrs. [Surname]", you place the surname before the term, such as 王夫妇 (Wáng fūfù).
How do you pronounce it?
fū fù
Did you know?
- While 夫妇 is a standard term, the more colloquial or slightly older-fashioned way to refer to a couple is 两口子 (liǎngkǒuzi), which literally translates to 'two mouths'.
- In very formal written contexts or on invitations, you may see the term 伉俪 (kànglì) instead of 夫妇. This term carries a more poetic and respectful tone, specifically praising the harmony of the couple.
- The word 夫 originally referred to a man who was a 'husband' in the sense of a 'worker' or 'official', while 妇 referred to a 'woman' or 'wife'.
Examples in context
- 王先生 (Wáng xiānsheng)Mr. Wang
- 张先生 (Zhāng xiānsheng)Mr. Zhang
- 李太太 (Lǐ tàitai)Mrs. Li
- 赵太太 (Zhào tàitai)Mrs. Zhao
- 王夫妇很热情。Wáng fūfù hěn rèqíng.Mr. and Mrs. Wang are very warm.
- 陈夫妇正在度假。Chén fūfù zhèngzài dùjià.Mr. and Mrs. Chen are on vacation.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are talking about their neighbors.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你认识住在三楼的那对夫妇吗？Nǐ rènshí zhù zài sān lóu de nà duì fūfù ma?Do you know that couple living on the third floor?
- 志强 Zhiqiang认识，他们非常友好。Rènshí, tāmen fēicháng yǒuhǎo.Yes, they are very friendly.
- 佳怡 Jiayi他们什么时候搬来的？Tāmen shénme shíhòu bān lái de?When did they move in?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我想是上个月搬来的。Wǒ xiǎng shì shàng gè yuè bān lái de.I think they moved in last month.
