More new words for Valentine's Day

I don't want to say it TO a girl, or anyone for that matter, but in case they say it or something, what is the term in Chinese?

Rich

yes, there is a word means old-maids, i think it is kind of offensive if you say to a girl.

I asked the above question just because I even have a few Chinese friends, girls, who are only around 26-27 and worried that they won't marry before they are 30, in which they then feel like they are old-maids and will never marry...wonder what word they maybe use in Chinese.

So, there is a word just for "bachelor" or "single male", 单身汉, but is there anything for the ladies, other than just

单身? What would you call someone who never married and is like 45-50 years old? In a little more historical time in America/Britain they would call themselves (or others would) old maids.

Here are some more new words for you guys.

单身dan1shen1=single

it can refer to both male and female

单身汉dan1shen1han4=single male

eg: 他是单身汉。ta1 shi4 dan1shen1han4.

He is a single.

约会yue1hui4=date

情人节他没有约会，因为他是单身汉。qing2ren2jie2 ta1 mei2you3 yue1hui4, yin1wei2 ta1 shi4 dan1shen1han4.

He doesn't have a date on Valentine's Day since he is a single.

Wei1xiao4

i m glad you like it. o(∩_∩)o

I m not really sure about "special stash" although i know it must be a good thing.

weixiao, thank you for you good suggestion and i will think about it and try my best.

Cassie, I love these phrases. Maybe you could write us a continuing soap opera with a short chapter each day. Your hanzi, pinyin, and English are so helpful. I have a handful of "Cassie flash cards" now. They are my special stash!

Rich, 圣瓦伦丁节（Valentine's Day). the translation of Valentine is瓦伦丁。

well, it depends on the context . sometimes 情人has kind of bad meaning , for example:他的妻子不知道他在外面有一个情人。=His wife doesn't know that he has a lover outside.

when it comes to Valentine's Day, the情人here means your lover(gf /bf or your wife/husband)

我不喝酒。

uh, so Bazza, who are you referring to making the freudian slip? :P

Important to note that while English/western word for the Holiday (which everyone is probably now sick of talking about) is named after Saint Valentine (Casie, do you know the name of the man in Chinese that this was named after, the transliteration?), but of course in Chinese (which maybe the lesson said, can't remember), 情人　ｉｓ　ｊｕｓｔ　“sweetheart", and 情人节 is literally Sweetheart-Day, so no wonder if you wish someone that in China it is kind of strange. So "Will you be my Valentine", wouldn't it just be sufficient to say "你愿意做我的情人吗？" or not?

I think it is失言shi1yan3.

失言=freudian slip, which means you said the true words or your true feeling unconsciously.

And there is a saying酒后失言（酒后吐真言），which literal means speak out true words or your really feeling after drinking.

Bazza, did you酒后吐真言before? It is said that one will be brave after drinking^_^

How do you say "freudian slip"? ;)

Tonight I m going to share some more new words with you guys.

天生一对tian1 sheng1 yi1 dui4=perfect match

你们是天生一对。ni3men1 shi4 tian1 sheng1 yi1 dui4.

You are the perfect match.

情书qing2shu1=love letter

一封yi1feng1=a (measure word)

她在情人节收到一封情书。ta1 zai4 qing2ren2jie1 shou1dao4 yi1feng1 qing2shu1.

She received a love letter on Valentine's Day.

Hi Calkins,

灵魂伴侣ling2 hun2 ban4 lv3=soulmate

soul n.=灵魂, 心灵, 精神, 精力

mate n.=配偶, 对手, 助手

vt.=使配对, 使一致, 结伴

vi.=成配偶, 紧密配合

And i think "Will you be my Valentine?"=你能做我情人节的情人吗？ni3 neng2 zuo4 wo3 qing2 ren2 jie1 de1 qing2 ren2 ma1?

It just mean be valentine on Valentine's day

o(∩_∩)o

Hi Rich,

一见钟情yi1 jian4 zhong1 qing2=love at first sight

一见here literal means meet for the first time

I think 命中注定ming4 zhong1 zhu4 ding4=It was meant to be.

eg:我们命中注定要在这相遇。wo3 men1 ming4 zhong1 zhu4 ding4 yao4 zai4 zhe4 li3 xiang1 yu4

We meet here,it was meant to be.

um, er, what I meant to ask was... how would I say to someone "Will you be my Valentine?" :P

Casie, how would I say to you "Will you be my Valentine?"

Is there a translation for soulmate? I can't find one.

Interesting that Cupid is first “Love god" and then Cupid is tranliterated “qiu bi te."

Cassie, I can you tell me how to say "It was love at first sight“? I learned this before in my advanced Chinese book last year, but don't remember it. I just remember it had 钟 in the phrase. Also, any other words you can for such things, like "It was meant to be," etc.?

Here comes more new words and sentences:

你愿意做我的女朋友吗？ni yuan yi zuo wo de nv peng you ma?= would you be my girl friend?

你愿意做我的男朋友吗？ni yuan yi zuo wo de nan peng you ma?= would you be my boy friend?

爱神丘比特ai shen qiu bi te=Cupid

遇到yu dao=meet / run into

eg:感谢爱神丘比特让我遇到你。gan xie ai shen qiu bi te rang wo yu dao ni.

Rich, 我也祝你情人节快乐！

I am glad that my post can make fun for you guys.

我会继续努力的！wo hui ji xu nu li de !

I will keep on doing that!

HI Wei1xiao4

我要向他表白=I want to declare my love for him.

The sentence structure isA 向B表白=A declare love for B.

By the way,wei1xiao4, I guess your name is微笑=smile, am i right?

Thanks Cassie for your little lesson! Your posts are fun to read. 情人节快乐 to you too!

Casie, in your sample sentence you use 我要向他表白. I am curious why you use xiang2 ta1. Does that sentence translate to "I want him to propose to me" or "I want to declare my love for him." Thanks for your help in understanding these important phrases.

Hi guys,

I want to repost one of the words

表白biao3 bai2 /告白gao4 bai2=show your love or to tell your true / real feeling

sushan,

Thank you so much!

I found that "propose" often be translated into告白and 表白in many movie subtitles, so i used that word.

I will take your advice and i m going to make a declaration of it.

First, let's back to your question.

well, in China, if you said "i like you" to someone and he answered" I like you too" ,that shows you two interested with each other and you two will become gf and bf. But it depends on. Sometimes people will say "I like you as a friend" or "I like you as a sister / brother."

So, here, like=喜欢xi huan

爱ai=love 爱>喜欢=love > like

Hope it make sense

casie, I don't get the first example

表 biao3 and 告 gao4 mean more like 'show' or tell' while propose is definitely a question. Propose means one person (usually the man) asks the other to get married. If the other accepts they are officially engaged. This is quite a bit more serious than declaring oneself.

Or in China, does 'I like you' 'I like you too' mean that they now have definite plans to marry?