亲爱的
qīn'ài de
In Chinese, "my dear" is translated as 亲爱的 (qīn'ài de).
亲爱的 is a term of endearment used to address someone the speaker loves or cares for deeply, such as loved ones, friends or family members.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 亲 (close or intimate), 爱 (love) and the adjectival particle 的.
Which one should you use?
Unlike the English phrase "my dear", the Chinese 亲爱的 does not strictly require the possessive "my" (我的) to function as a term of endearment.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 亲爱的 functions as an adjective and is often followed by a noun or a person's title.
How do you pronounce it?
qīn'ài de
Did you know?
- In modern Chinese internet slang, a shortened version of the concept, 亲, is used by customer service representatives to address customers much like 'dear' or 'honey' in English.
- The character 亲 can be read as 'qīn' for 'dear' or 'qǐn' when it means 'to kiss'. This creates a visual link between the feeling of intimacy and the act of kissing.
- In many parts of mainland China, people often prefer using familial titles like 'sister' or 'brother' as terms of endearment instead of using 亲爱的, which can feel too much like a scripted movie line.
Examples in context
- 我亲爱的妈妈My dear mother.This sentence shows how to use 亲爱的 when addressing a mother.Tatoeba #2201215 by abidaomak, translation #2202414 by FeuDRenais2
- 亲爱的，你累了吗？Qīn'ài de, nǐ lèi le ma?My dear, are you tired?
Example conversation
A couple is relaxing at home in the evening.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen亲爱的，今天过得怎么样？Qīn'ài de, jīntiān guò de zěnmeyàng?My dear, how was your day?
- 浩然 Haoran很不错，谢谢你，晓雯。Hěn bùcuò, xièxiè nǐ, Xiǎowén.Very good, thank you, Xiaowen.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我为你准备了热茶。Wǒ wèi nǐ zhǔnbèi le rè chá.I prepared some hot tea for you.
- 浩然 Haoran你真好，晓雯。Nǐ zhēn hǎo, Xiǎowén.You are so kind, Xiaowen.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
