Chinese phrases
How to say husband in Chinese
Husband in Chinese is 老公 (lǎo gōng) in everyday speech. 丈夫 (zhàng fu) is the neutral word for forms and news, and 我先生 (wǒ xiān sheng) is the polite way to say “my husband” to people you don’t know well.
老公
husband
The 老 in 老公 is not about age. Couples in their twenties say it, and so do many couples who are only dating.
Ways to say husband
老公
Everydayhusband
The everyday word. Wives use it to talk about their husband and to address him.
丈夫
Writtenhusband (neutral)
On forms, in news and in stories. In conversation it sounds a little formal.
我先生
Formalmy husband (polite)
With colleagues, clients, a doctor or anyone you just met. On its own, 先生 means “sir” or “Mr”.
爱人
Everydayspouse
For a husband or a wife. Common with middle-aged and older people in mainland China. Younger people say 老公. In Taiwan, 爱人 can mean a lover.
孩子他爸
Everydaythe kid’s dad
Some mothers, mostly in older couples, use it to address their husband or to talk about him.
Someone else’s husband
你老公
your husband
With a friend or a colleague you know well.
您先生
your husband (polite)
With someone older, a client, or anyone you don’t know well.
你爱人
your spouse
What many older people say.
Common mistakes
Saying 我丈夫 in every chat
我丈夫 is correct, but in a relaxed conversation it sounds stiff. With friends, say 我老公. With people you don’t know well, say 我先生.
Reading 先生 as husband everywhere
先生 means husband only after a word like “my” or “her”: 我先生, 她先生. On its own, or after a surname as in 王先生, it means “sir” or “Mr”.
Hearing 老公 as “old man”
老公 has nothing to do with age. An elderly man is a 老人, or politely a 老先生.
Back on Monday
周末干什么了？
Leon: What did you do at the weekend?
跟我老公去爬山了。
Colleague: I went hiking with my husband.
你老公也喜欢爬山啊？
Leon: Your husband likes hiking too?
对，他比我还喜欢。
Colleague: Yes, he likes it even more than I do.
