甜心爹地
tiánxīn diēdì
The English phrase 'sugar daddy' can be translated into Chinese as 甜心爹地 (tiánxīn diēdì). Wiktionary also lists 甜爹 (tiándiē) and 乾爹 / 干爹 (gāndiē).
Meaning: slang: older man who spends money for a relationship with a younger partner (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 甜心爹地 | tiánxīn diēdì |
| 甜爹 | tiándiē |
| 乾爹 / 干爹 | gāndiē |
The term refers to slang for an older man who spends money for a relationship with a younger partner.
Which one should you use?
While 乾爹 / 干爹 (gāndiē) can be used colloquially to refer to a benefactor, its primary meaning is 'godfather' or 'foster father' and is not inherently sexual or transactional like 'sugar daddy'.
How do you pronounce it?
tiánxīn diēdì
Did you know?
- In some online communities, people use the term 包养 (bāoyǎng) to describe the act of 'keeping' a partner. This verb is more commonly used for livestock or pets than for humans in standard Chinese.
- The term 乾爹 (gāndiē) literally translates to 'dry father'. In traditional Chinese culture, 'dry' (乾) is used to describe relationships created by choice rather than by blood.
- In some internet circles, using the term 甜爹 (tiándiē) can sound oddly cutesy or 'moe', making it feel more like a fictional trope than a real-world slang term.
Examples in context
- 他是我的金主。He is my financial supporter.
Example conversation
Two friends are gossiping about a classmate's expensive gifts.
- 雨婷 Yuting雨婷，你的包包好贵！Yǔtíng, nǐ de bāobāo hǎo guì!Yuting, your bag is so expensive!
- 俊杰 Junjie这是我的甜心爹地买给我的。Zhè shì wǒ de tiánxīn diēdì mǎi gěi wǒ de.My sugar daddy bought this for me.
- 雨婷 Yuting真的吗？他很有钱吧？Zhēnde ma? Tā hěn yǒuqián ba?Really? He must be very rich.
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，他非常慷慨。Shì de, tā fēicháng kāngdài.Yes, he is very generous.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sugar daddy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
