女朋友
nǚ péng yǒu
Girlfriend
女朋友 (nǚ péngyou) is the standard and most common way to say "girlfriend" in Mandarin Chinese. It refers to a female romantic partner.
When to use it
Neutral. It's appropriate in most social situations. For a more serious, long-term partner, especially one you might marry, people sometimes use 对象 (duìxiàng), which means "partner" or "fiancé(e)". To specify a non-romantic female friend, you can say 女性朋友 (nǚxìng péngyou).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "nyoo PEHNG-yoh." The "nǚ" is a dipping third tone, "péng" is a rising second tone, and "you" is a light, neutral tone.
Other ways to say it
- 对象duì xiàngpartner / fiancé(e) (often implies a more serious relationship)
- 爱人ài rénlover / spouse (a bit older-fashioned, can refer to husband/wife)
- 女性朋友nǚ xìng péng yǒufemale friend (non-romantic)
Examples
这是我的女朋友。
zhè shì wǒ de nǚ péng yǒu 。
This is my girlfriend.
他有一个很可爱的女朋友。
tā yǒu yí gè hěn kě ài de nǚ péng yǒu 。
He has a very cute girlfriend.
你有没有女朋友？
nǐ yǒu méi yǒu nǚ péng yǒu ？
Do you have a girlfriend?
Pro tip: Remember that 女朋友 specifically means a romantic girlfriend. If you just mean a friend who happens to be female, use 女性朋友 (nǚxìng péngyou) to avoid misunderstanding.
Related phrases
我爱你 · I love you爱 · Love我想你 · I miss you
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