Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 戀愛 /恋爱 | liàn'ài |
| 浪漫 | làngmàn |
The term 浪漫 is used to describe the quality of being romantic, such as a romantic atmosphere or a romantic gesture. In contrast, 戀愛 / 恋爱 is used to refer to the state of being in a romantic relationship or the act of dating. Related terms used to describe different aspects of love include 爱情 (ài qíng) for love and romance in a formal sense, and 情爱 (qíng ài) to describe the emotional bond and affection between two people.
What does it mean word for word?
浪漫 is a phonetic loanword from the English word 'romantic'.
Which one should you use?
Use 戀愛 / 恋爱 when you are referring to the noun for a love affair or the state of being in a romantic relationship. Use 浪漫 when you are using 'romantic' as an adjective to describe something, such as a romantic gesture.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the term for romance is 浪漫 (long5 maan6).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 浪漫 as an adjective to modify a noun, you typically add the particle 的 to the word, resulting in 浪漫的. The noun 戀愛 / 恋爱 is often used in the verb phrase 談戀愛 to express the action of being in a romantic relationship.
How do you pronounce it?
làngmàn
Did you know?
- The word 浪漫 was used in Chinese to mean 'unrestrained' or 'indulgent' before it was ever used to translate the English word 'romantic'.
- The characters in 浪漫 are also used in the name for 'Rome', which is 羅馬 (Luómǎ), creating a linguistic connection between the 'romantic' and the 'Roman' era.
- The character 戀 in the word for romance traditionally carries a heavy sense of 'lingering longing' or deep attachment.
Examples in context
- 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ)I love you
- 我深深地爱着你 (wǒ shēn shēn de ài zhe nǐ)I deeply love you
- 这里太浪漫了 (zhè lǐ tài làng màn le)It's so romantic here
- 你很浪漫 (nǐ hěn làng màn)You are very romantic
- 這部電影很有浪漫色彩。Zhè bù diànyǐng hěn yǒu làngmàn sècǎi.This movie has a lot of romance in it.
Example conversation
Jiayi and Wei are discussing their ideal date.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你觉得浪漫的约会是什么样的？Nǐ juéde làngmàn de yuēhuì shì shénme yàng de?What do you think a romantic date is like?
- 伟 Wei我觉得在海边散步很浪漫。Wǒ juéde zài hǎibiān sànbù hěn làngmàn.I think walking on the beach is very romantic.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我也这么觉得，伟。Wǒ yě zhème juéde, Wěi.I think so too, Wei.
- 伟 Wei那我们下次去海边吧。Nà wǒmen xiàcì qù hǎibiān ba.Then let's go to the beach next time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “romance” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 浪漫, CC BY-SA 4.0.
