我老公
wǒ lǎogōng
The English phrase "my husband" is translated into Chinese as 我老公 (wǒ lǎogōng), the default form.
The term is used by women to refer to the man they are married to. The word 老公 (lǎogōng) can also be used as a direct term of endearment when addressing a husband, similar to saying "hubby" in English.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 我老公 consists of 我 (wǒ) meaning "I/my" and 老公 (lǎogōng) meaning "husband".
Which one should you use?
While 我老公 is the colloquial and common way to refer to a husband, 我先生 (wǒ xiānsheng) is a more formal and polite way to refer to one's husband in social or professional settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
我老公 is an informal and intimate term used in daily conversation. In contrast, 我先生 is used in more formal or polite contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ lǎogōng
Did you know?
- While 老公 is common, some women use the term 我家那口 (wǒ jiā nà kǒu), which literally means 'that mouth of my house'.
- In ancient China, the term 老公 was used to refer to old men in general rather than a spouse.
- The phrase 老公 has a feminine counterpart 老婆 (lǎopó), which literally means 'old female-cloth'.
Examples in context
- 给我老公打电话。Call my husband.This sentence shows how to use 我老公 when giving an instruction to call him.Tatoeba #10199327 by slo_oth, translation #1730012 by CM
- 我老公沒用。My husband is useless.This sentence uses 我老公 to describe a quality of the husband.Tatoeba #10588692 by valhentai, translation #1660076 by fanty
- 他是我老公。He is my husband.This sentence uses 我老公 to identify him.Tatoeba #13260803 by atitarev, translation #3534048 by nurendra
- 我的丈夫是一个非常优秀的人。My husband is an exceptional person.
- 我的先生是一位律师。My husband is a lawyer.
- 我的老公是一个搞笑的人。My husband is a funny person.
- 我的丈夫是一个很体贴的人。My husband is a very considerate person.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two acquaintances meet at a coffee shop.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我老公还没到。Wǒ lǎogōng hái méi dào.My husband hasn't arrived yet.
- 俊杰 Junjie他在哪儿呢？Tā zài nǎ'er ne?Where is he?
- 佳怡 Jiayi他在开车过来。Tā zài kāichē guòlái.He is driving over.
- 俊杰 Junjie好的，那我们先聊吧。Hǎo de, nà wǒmen xiān liáo ba.Okay, let's chat then.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
