Chinese phrases

How to say girlfriend in Chinese

Girlfriend in Chinese is 女朋友 (nǚ péng you). It always means a partner: a friend who is a woman is just 朋友 (péng you).

女朋友

nǚ péng you

girlfriend

Ways to say girlfriend

女朋友
nǚ péng you
Everyday
girlfriend
The normal word, in speech and in messages.
女友
nǚ yǒu
Written
girlfriend
Shorter. In news, headlines and social media posts.
对象
duì xiàng
Everyday
partner; boyfriend or girlfriend
For a man or a woman. Parents and relatives often use it, and it is common in the north. It is the word in 找对象, “to look for a partner.”
老婆
lǎo po
With friends
wifey
Many young men call their girlfriend 老婆 in private and in chats. In front of others, 女朋友 is clearer.
女票
nǚ piào
Texting
girlfriend (internet slang)
Online and in chats. It comes from saying 朋友 fast. Playful, and a little dated now.
前女友
qián nǚ yǒu
Everyday
ex-girlfriend
Your ex. 前 means “former.”

女性朋友
nǚ xìng péng you
a female friend
Neutral and clear, when you need to say that the friend is a woman.
普通朋友
pǔ tōng péng you
just a friend
To make it clear: 我们只是普通朋友, “we’re just friends.”
闺蜜
guī mì
best friend (between women)
What a woman calls her closest female friend.

Introducing a friend as 女朋友
女朋友 never means just a friend who is a girl. Introduce her as 我朋友, and people will not draw the wrong conclusion.
nu instead of nǚ
女 is nǚ, with ü: say “ee” with your lips rounded as for “oo.” A plain u is a different syllable: nù is 怒, “angry.”
Hearing 我老婆 and assuming he is married
Young couples say 老公 and 老婆 long before a wedding. From a man in his twenties, 我老婆 may mean his girlfriend.

昨天跟你吃饭的那个女生是谁？
zuó tiān gēn nǐ chī fàn de nà gè nǚ shēng shì shéi
Liangliang: Who was the girl you had dinner with yesterday?
我女朋友。
wǒ nǚ péng you
Leon: My girlfriend.
什么时候的事？我怎么不知道！
shén me shí hou de shì? wǒ zěn me bù zhī dào
Liangliang: Since when? How come I didn’t know?
上个月刚在一起。
shàng gè yuè gāng zài yì qǐ
Leon: We only got together last month.