Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 親愛的 / 亲爱的 | qīn'ài de | |
| 寶貝 / 宝贝 | bǎobèi | |
| 阿娜達 / 阿娜达 | Hokkien | |
| 阿娜达 | a-na-ta | Hokkien, Taiwan |
In a romantic context, you can use 寶貝 / 宝贝 to mean 'baby' or 'sweetheart'. This term is also frequently used by parents when referring to their children. Another option is the informal term 亲亲, which is an onomatopoeic word mimicking the sound of a kiss and can be used to address a loved one as 'honey' or 'darling'.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 親愛的 / 亲爱的 is composed of qīn (close/intimate), ài (love) and the particle de, which turns the preceding words into an adjective or a noun phrase. The term 寶貝 / 宝贝 literally means 'treasure' or 'precious object'.
Which one should you use?
親愛的 / 亲爱的 is a versatile term that can function as either a noun (sweetheart) or an adjective (dear/beloved). In contrast, 寶貝 / 宝贝 is primarily used as a noun (baby/treasure).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, the Hokkien form 阿娜达 with the romanization a-na-ta is characteristic. In parts of northern China, couples often address each other as 老公, which means 'husband'.
Did you know?
- In modern internet slang, 親親 is sometimes used by customer service representatives to address buyers in a friendly, 'sweetheart' style to create a rapport.
- The term 阿娜達 is a phonetic loanword from the Japanese word あなた, meaning 'you'. It was historically used in Taiwan to imitate a romantic or Westernized way of addressing a partner.
- The phrase 親愛的 is so common that it is frequently used in professional or formal written correspondence, much like 'Dear' is used in English letters.
Examples in context
- 宝贝，你是我的整个世界。Sweetheart, you are my whole world.
- 亲亲，我好想你。Sweetheart, I miss you so much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sweetheart” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 阿娜達, CC BY-SA 4.0.
