Chinese phrases
How to say jealous in Chinese
Jealous in Chinese is 嫉妒 (jí dù) for real, bitter envy. For the friendly “I’m so jealous!” people say 羡慕 (xiàn mù), and for jealousy in love, 吃醋 (chī cù).
嫉妒
jealous; envious (with resentment)
吃醋 is literally “to eat vinegar.” Sour means jealous in Chinese, which is why the internet says 酸了, “gone sour.”
Ways to say jealous
嫉妒
Everydayjealous; envious (with resentment)
Envy that wants what someone else has and resents them for it. People say it about others more often than about themselves: 他嫉妒你.
羡慕
Everydayto envy; to wish you had it too
Admiring envy with no bad feeling. This is the friendly “I’m so jealous!”: 好羡慕你, when a friend has a trip, a job or a cat you would like.
吃醋
Everydayto be jealous (in love)
Romantic jealousy: 他吃醋了, “he’s jealous.” People also use it playfully, for a friend or a child who wants your attention.
眼红
Everydayenvious (of money or luck)
Literally “red eyes.” Envy of what others gain, usually money, luck or success. It sounds critical, so people mostly say it about others.
酸了
TextingI’m jealous (joking)
Internet slang: 我酸了 under a friend’s holiday photos or good news. It is a joke, not a real complaint.
Common mistakes
我嫉妒你 as a friendly joke
In English, “I’m so jealous!” is often a compliment. 我嫉妒你 can sound like real resentment. Say 好羡慕你 instead.
嫉妒 for a jealous partner
When a boyfriend or girlfriend is jealous, people say 吃醋: 你吃醋了？ 嫉妒 sounds heavier and colder.
Hearing 羡慕 as a complaint
A dictionary may give “envy” for 羡慕, but it has no bad feeling in it. 真羡慕你们 is close to “you’re so lucky.”
Holiday plans
我下周去三亚。
Qiqi: I’m going to Sanya next week.
真的吗？好羡慕你啊！
Leon: Really? I’m so jealous!
我给你带点好吃的。
Qiqi: I’ll bring you back something tasty.
