Valentine’s Day in Traditional Chinese

主題：情人節（Traditional Chinese） Includes：pinyin + examples + audio buttons

Want Valentine’s Day vocabulary that actually works in real life (and in texts)? You’ll get Traditional Chinese characters, pinyin with tone marks, clear meanings, and example sentences you can copy without sounding like a greeting card from 1997.

Tap the little audio button to hear the Mandarin pronunciation (Taiwan voice settings). Your brain gets the romance; your mouth gets the practice.

Quick-hit Valentine’s Day words (the ones you’ll actually use)

These are high-utility terms you’ll see on cards, menus, and social posts. Each card includes a real example sentence.

情人節

qíng rén jié

Valentine’s Day

今天是情人節。

Jīntiān shì qíngrénjié.

Today is Valentine’s Day.

愛

ài

love (verb/noun)

我愛你，但我也愛睡覺。

Wǒ ài nǐ, dàn wǒ yě ài shuìjiào.

I love you, but I also love sleeping.

喜歡

xǐ huān

to like / to be into

我很喜歡你。

Wǒ hěn xǐhuān nǐ.

I really like you.

約會

yuē huì

date (go on a date)

我們週末可以約會嗎？

Wǒmen zhōumò kěyǐ yuēhuì ma?

Can we go on a date this weekend?

浪漫

làng màn

romantic

這家餐廳很浪漫。

Zhè jiā cāntīng hěn làngmàn.

This restaurant is very romantic.

玫瑰

méi guī

rose

我買了一朵玫瑰給你。

Wǒ mǎi le yì duǒ méiguī gěi nǐ.

I bought a rose for you.

巧克力

qiǎo kè lì

chocolate

這盒巧克力是給你的。

Zhè hé qiǎokèlì shì gěi nǐ de.

This box of chocolates is for you.

禮物

lǐ wù

gift / present

我準備了一份小禮物。

Wǒ zhǔnbèi le yí fèn xiǎo lǐwù.

I prepared a small gift.

Sweet (and actually usable) phrases for Valentine’s Day

These are great for texts, cards, and not-panicking during a date. Each phrase includes a mini example you can steal.

情人節快樂！

qíng rén jié kuài lè

Happy Valentine’s Day!

情人節快樂！今晚一起吃飯嗎？

Qíngrénjié kuàilè! Jīnwǎn yìqǐ chīfàn ma?

Happy Valentine’s Day! Want to have dinner together tonight?

我愛你。

wǒ ài nǐ

I love you.

我愛你，謝謝你一直陪我。

Wǒ ài nǐ, xièxie nǐ yìzhí péi wǒ.

I love you—thank you for always being with me.

我喜歡你。

wǒ xǐ huān nǐ

I like you.

我喜歡你很久了。

Wǒ xǐhuān nǐ hěn jiǔ le.

I’ve liked you for a long time.

你願意跟我交往嗎？

nǐ yuàn yì gēn wǒ jiāo wǎng ma

Will you go out with me? (be in a relationship)

我很認真。你願意跟我交往嗎？

Wǒ hěn rènzhēn. Nǐ yuànyì gēn wǒ jiāowǎng ma?

I’m serious. Will you be in a relationship with me?

我想跟你約會。

wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ yuē huì

I want to go on a date with you.

這週末我想跟你約會。

Zhè zhōumò wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ yuēhuì.

I want to go on a date with you this weekend.

這是給你的。

zhè shì gěi nǐ de

This is for you.

這是給你的禮物，希望你喜歡。

Zhè shì gěi nǐ de lǐwù, xīwàng nǐ xǐhuān.

This gift is for you—hope you like it.

送你一束花。

sòng nǐ yì shù huā

I’m giving you a bouquet.

情人節到了，送你一束花。

Qíngrénjié dào le, sòng nǐ yì shù huā.

Valentine’s Day is here—here’s a bouquet for you.

你今天好美／好帥。

nǐ jīn tiān hǎo měi / hǎo shuài

You look so beautiful / handsome today.

哇，你今天好美！

Wa, nǐ jīntiān hǎo měi!

Wow, you look so beautiful today!

我很想你。

wǒ hěn xiǎng nǐ

I miss you a lot.

今天忙到不行，但我很想你。

Jīntiān máng dào bùxíng, dàn wǒ hěn xiǎng nǐ.

Today was insanely busy, but I really miss you.

你是我的唯一。

nǐ shì wǒ de wéi yī

You’re my one and only.

對我來說，你是我的唯一。

Duì wǒ lái shuō, nǐ shì wǒ de wéiyī.

To me, you’re my one and only.

跟你在一起很幸福。

gēn nǐ zài yì qǐ hěn xìng fú

Being with you makes me happy.

我覺得跟你在一起很幸福。

Wǒ juéde gēn nǐ zài yìqǐ hěn xìngfú.

I feel really happy being with you.

可以抱抱嗎？

kě yǐ bào bào ma

Can I get a hug?

我今天有點累，可以抱抱嗎？

Wǒ jīntiān yǒudiǎn lèi, kěyǐ bào bào ma?

I’m a bit tired today—can I get a hug?

要不要一起過情人節？

yào bù yào yì qǐ guò qíng rén jié

Want to spend Valentine’s Day together?

要不要一起過情人節？我訂位了。

Yào bù yào yìqǐ guò qíngrénjié? Wǒ dìngwèi le.

Want to spend Valentine’s Day together? I made a reservation.

今天我請客。

jīn tiān wǒ qǐng kè

My treat today.

情人節晚餐，今天我請客。

Qíngrénjié wǎncān, jīntiān wǒ qǐngkè.

Valentine’s dinner—my treat today.

我訂了位。

wǒ dìng le wèi

I made a reservation.

我訂了位，七點見。

Wǒ dìng le wèi, qī diǎn jiàn.

I made a reservation—see you at 7.

Quick culture note: it’s not just one “Valentine’s Day”

In Mandarin, you’ll hear different names depending on the date or tradition. Learn these and you’ll instantly sound less “tourist Valentine.”

Dates you’ll see online

西洋情人節 is the “Feb 14” one. 白色情人節 is March 14 (often “reply gifts”). 七夕 is the traditional Chinese love festival. And 五二〇 is a number pun people use to say “I love you.”

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
西洋情人節	xī yáng qíng rén jié	Western Valentine’s Day	西洋情人節我們去吃燭光晚餐。 Xīyáng qíngrénjié wǒmen qù chī zhúguāng wǎncān.	On Western Valentine’s Day, we’re having a candlelight dinner.
白色情人節	bái sè qíng rén jié	White Day (Mar 14)	白色情人節我也準備了禮物。 Báisè qíngrénjié wǒ yě zhǔnbèi le lǐwù.	I prepared a gift for White Day too.
七夕	qī xì	Qixi (Chinese love festival)	七夕那天很多情侶會約會。 Qīxì nà tiān hěnduō qínglǚ huì yuēhuì.	On Qixi, lots of couples go on dates.
五二〇	wǔ èr líng	“520” (sounds like “I love you”)	五二〇快到了，我想跟你告白。 Wǔ èr líng kuài dào le, wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ gàobái.	520 is coming—I want to confess my feelings to you.
一三一四	yī sān yī sì	“1314” (sounds like “for a lifetime”)	我想跟你在一起一三一四。 Wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ zài yìqǐ yī sān yī sì.	I want to be with you “forever.”

Table of Valentine’s Day vocabulary (grouped, so your brain doesn’t quit)

These are the building blocks for messages, dates, gifts, and feelings—aka the stuff Valentine’s Day is made of.

People & relationship status

Who’s who, what’s what, and what you are (or are not) doing on Feb 14.

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
情侶	qíng lǚ	couple	這家店情人節很多情侶來。 Zhè jiā diàn qíngrénjié hěnduō qínglǚ lái.	This place gets lots of couples on Valentine’s Day.
戀人	liàn rén	lover / romantic partner	他們是戀人，也是最好的朋友。 Tāmen shì liànrén, yě shì zuì hǎo de péngyǒu.	They’re lovers—and also best friends.
另一半	lìng yí bàn	significant other	我想帶另一半去旅行。 Wǒ xiǎng dài lìng yí bàn qù lǚxíng.	I want to travel with my significant other.
男朋友	nán péng yǒu	boyfriend	我男朋友很會做甜點。 Wǒ nán péngyǒu hěn huì zuò tiándiǎn.	My boyfriend is great at making desserts.
女朋友	nǚ péng yǒu	girlfriend	我女朋友喜歡玫瑰花。 Wǒ nǚ péngyǒu xǐhuān méiguīhuā.	My girlfriend likes roses.
老公	lǎo gōng	husband (casual)	我老公訂了位，超貼心。 Wǒ lǎogōng dìng le wèi, chāo tiēxīn.	My husband made a reservation—so thoughtful.
老婆	lǎo pó	wife (casual)	我老婆最愛巧克力。 Wǒ lǎopó zuì ài qiǎokèlì.	My wife loves chocolate the most.
單身	dān shēn	single	我今年情人節單身，沒關係。 Wǒ jīnnián qíngrénjié dānshēn, méi guānxì.	I’m single this Valentine’s Day—it’s fine.
脫單	tuō dān	to stop being single	希望今年可以脫單。 Xīwàng jīnnián kěyǐ tuōdān.	Hope I can stop being single this year.
暗戀	àn liàn	secret crush	我暗戀他很久了。 Wǒ ànliàn tā hěn jiǔ le.	I’ve had a secret crush on him for a long time.
曖昧	ài mèi	ambiguous / “talking stage”	我們現在有點曖昧。 Wǒmen xiànzài yǒudiǎn àimèi.	We’re kind of in the “talking stage” right now.
前任	qián rèn	ex (partner)	情人節我不想提前任。 Qíngrénjié wǒ bù xiǎng tí qiánrèn.	I don’t want to mention my ex on Valentine’s Day.

Dating actions & milestones

From “we’re hanging out” to “so… ring shopping?” (no pressure).

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
交往	jiāo wǎng	to date (be in a relationship)	我們交往一年了。 Wǒmen jiāowǎng yì nián le.	We’ve been dating for a year.
在一起	zài yì qǐ	to be together	跟你在一起我很安心。 Gēn nǐ zài yìqǐ wǒ hěn ānxīn.	I feel at ease being with you.
告白	gào bái	to confess feelings	我想在情人節跟你告白。 Wǒ xiǎng zài qíngrénjié gēn nǐ gàobái.	I want to confess my feelings to you on Valentine’s Day.
追求	zhuī qiú	to pursue (romantically)	他在追求她，很認真。 Tā zài zhuīqiú tā, hěn rènzhēn.	He’s pursuing her—seriously.
牽手	qiān shǒu	to hold hands	走路的時候，我們牽手吧。 Zǒulù de shíhou, wǒmen qiānshǒu ba.	Let’s hold hands while we walk.
擁抱	yǒng bào	to hug	見面先擁抱一下。 Jiànmiàn xiān yǒngbào yíxià.	Let’s hug first when we meet.
親吻	qīn wěn	to kiss	她害羞到不敢親吻。 Tā hàixiū dào bù gǎn qīnwěn.	She was too shy to kiss.
分手	fēn shǒu	to break up	他們去年分手了。 Tāmen qùnián fēnshǒu le.	They broke up last year.
復合	fù hé	to get back together	他們分手後又復合了。 Tāmen fēnshǒu hòu yòu fùhé le.	They broke up and then got back together.
求婚	qiú hūn	to propose	他打算在情人節求婚。 Tā dǎsuàn zài qíngrénjié qiúhūn.	He plans to propose on Valentine’s Day.
結婚	jié hūn	to get married	他們明年要結婚。 Tāmen míngnián yào jiéhūn.	They’re getting married next year.

Gifts & Valentine objects

Everything you buy, wrap, and pretend you didn’t panic-purchase at the last minute.

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
花	huā	flower(s)	你喜歡花嗎？ Nǐ xǐhuān huā ma?	Do you like flowers?
玫瑰花	méi guī huā	rose (flower)	紅色玫瑰花很經典。 Hóngsè méiguīhuā hěn jīngdiǎn.	Red roses are classic.
花束	huā shù	bouquet	這束花束好漂亮。 Zhè shù huāshù hǎo piàoliang.	This bouquet is so beautiful.
花店	huā diàn	flower shop	情人節前花店很忙。 Qíngrénjié qián huādiàn hěn máng.	Flower shops are busy before Valentine’s Day.
卡片	kǎ piàn	card	我寫了一張卡片給你。 Wǒ xiě le yì zhāng kǎpiàn gěi nǐ.	I wrote a card for you.
情書	qíng shū	love letter	他送了我一封情書。 Tā sòng le wǒ yì fēng qíngshū.	He gave me a love letter.
戒指	jiè zhǐ	ring	這枚戒指很有意義。 Zhè méi jièzhǐ hěn yǒu yìyì.	This ring is very meaningful.
香水	xiāng shuǐ	perfume	我選了你會喜歡的香水。 Wǒ xuǎn le nǐ huì xǐhuān de xiāngshuǐ.	I picked a perfume you’ll like.
泰迪熊	tài dí xióng	teddy bear	她收到一隻泰迪熊，很開心。 Tā shōudào yì zhī tàidíxióng, hěn kāixīn.	She got a teddy bear and was very happy.
氣球	qì qiú	balloon	房間裡有很多愛心氣球。 Fángjiān lǐ yǒu hěnduō àixīn qìqiú.	There are lots of heart balloons in the room.
蠟燭	là zhú	candle	點蠟燭很有氣氛。 Diǎn làzhú hěn yǒu qìfēn.	Lighting candles sets the mood.
包裝	bāo zhuāng	wrapping / packaging	這個禮物包裝得很漂亮。 Zhège lǐwù bāozhuāng de hěn piàoliang.	This gift is wrapped beautifully.
緞帶	duàn dài	ribbon	我用粉紅色緞帶綁起來。 Wǒ yòng fěnhóngsè duàndài bǎng qǐlái.	I tied it with a pink ribbon.
禮盒	lǐ hé	gift box set	這個禮盒看起來很高級。 Zhège lǐhé kàn qǐlái hěn gāojí.	This gift box looks fancy.
糖果	táng guǒ	candy	我買了草莓口味的糖果。 Wǒ mǎi le cǎoméi kǒuwèi de tángguǒ.	I bought strawberry-flavored candy.
甜點	tián diǎn	dessert	吃完晚餐再點甜點。 Chī wán wǎncān zài diǎn tiándiǎn.	Let’s order dessert after dinner.

Date night words (food, places, plans)

Because “We’ll just figure it out” is not a plan. It’s a trap.

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
晚餐	wǎn cān	dinner	今晚晚餐你想吃什麼？ Jīnwǎn wǎncān nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?	What do you want for dinner tonight?
燭光晚餐	zhú guāng wǎn cān	candlelight dinner	我們去吃燭光晚餐吧。 Wǒmen qù chī zhúguāng wǎncān ba.	Let’s go for a candlelight dinner.
餐廳	cān tīng	restaurant	這家餐廳要先訂位。 Zhè jiā cāntīng yào xiān dìngwèi.	This restaurant needs a reservation.
訂位	dìng wèi	to reserve (a table)	我已經幫你訂位了。 Wǒ yǐjīng bāng nǐ dìngwèi le.	I already reserved a table for you.
電影	diàn yǐng	movie	情人節看電影也不錯。 Qíngrénjié kàn diànyǐng yě búcuò.	Watching a movie on Valentine’s Day is also nice.
散步	sàn bù	to take a walk	吃完飯我們去散步。 Chī wán fàn wǒmen qù sànbù.	After we eat, let’s go for a walk.
夜景	yè jǐng	night view	那裡的夜景很漂亮。 Nàlǐ de yèjǐng hěn piàoliang.	The night view there is beautiful.
旅行	lǚ xíng	to travel	我們情人節週末去旅行吧。 Wǒmen qíngrénjié zhōumò qù lǚxíng ba.	Let’s travel over Valentine’s weekend.
乾杯	gān bēi	cheers!	為了我們，乾杯！ Wèile wǒmen, gānbēi!	To us—cheers!

Feelings & adjectives (aka the “don’t sound stiff” pack)

These words make your message warmer instantly—without writing a whole essay.

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
甜蜜	tián mì	sweet / blissful	跟你聊天很甜蜜。 Gēn nǐ liáotiān hěn tiánmì.	Chatting with you feels sweet.
心動	xīn dòng	heart-fluttering / to be moved	你笑的時候我會心動。 Nǐ xiào de shíhou wǒ huì xīndòng.	When you smile, my heart flutters.
感動	gǎn dòng	touched / moved	你記得我喜歡什麼，我好感動。 Nǐ jìde wǒ xǐhuān shénme, wǒ hǎo gǎndòng.	You remembered what I like—I’m so touched.
幸福	xìng fú	happy / blessed	跟你在一起我很幸福。 Gēn nǐ zài yìqǐ wǒ hěn xìngfú.	I’m very happy being with you.
貼心	tiē xīn	thoughtful / considerate	你真的很貼心。 Nǐ zhēn de hěn tiēxīn.	You’re really thoughtful.
暖心	nuǎn xīn	warm-hearted / heartwarming	你說的話很暖心。 Nǐ shuō de huà hěn nuǎnxīn.	What you said is very heartwarming.
真心	zhēn xīn	sincere / from the heart	這是我真心想說的。 Zhè shì wǒ zhēnxīn xiǎng shuō de.	This is what I sincerely want to say.
期待	qí dài	to look forward to	我很期待今晚的約會。 Wǒ hěn qídài jīnwǎn de yuēhuì.	I’m really looking forward to tonight’s date.
緊張	jǐn zhāng	nervous	我第一次告白有點緊張。 Wǒ dì yī cì gàobái yǒudiǎn jǐnzhāng.	I’m a bit nervous to confess for the first time.
可愛	kě ài	cute	你今天真的好可愛。 Nǐ jīntiān zhēn de hǎo kě’ài.	You’re really cute today.
驚喜	jīng xǐ	surprise	我有一個驚喜要給你。 Wǒ yǒu yí ge jīngxǐ yào gěi nǐ.	I have a surprise for you.
愛心	ài xīn	heart (symbol) / love	我在卡片上畫了很多愛心。 Wǒ zài kǎpiàn shàng huà le hěnduō àixīn.	I drew lots of hearts on the card.
心形	xīn xíng	heart-shaped	這個蛋糕是心形的。 Zhège dàngāo shì xīnxíng de.	This cake is heart-shaped.

Modern “Valentine’s Day” internet vocabulary

Because social media will absolutely remind you, whether you want it to or not.

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
放閃	fàng shǎn	to show off affection (publicly)	情人節大家都在放閃。 Qíngrénjié dàjiā dōu zài fàngshǎn.	On Valentine’s Day, everyone is showing off affection.
閃光	shǎn guāng	a couple (as “too shiny”), also “the shining one”	看到閃光我就戴墨鏡。 Kàndào shǎnguāng wǒ jiù dài mòjìng.	When I see couples being “shiny,” I put on sunglasses.
情侶照	qíng lǚ zhào	couple photo	我們拍一張情侶照吧。 Wǒmen pāi yì zhāng qínglǚ zhào ba.	Let’s take a couple photo.
限時動態	xiàn shí dòng tài	story (temporary post)	我把晚餐拍成限時動態。 Wǒ bǎ wǎncān pāi chéng xiànshí dòngtài.	I posted our dinner as a story.
打卡	dǎ kǎ	to check in / post a location	這家餐廳很適合打卡。 Zhè jiā cāntīng hěn shìhé dǎkǎ.	This restaurant is perfect for posting a check-in.
傳訊息	chuán xùn xí	to send a message	我先傳訊息跟你說晚安。 Wǒ xiān chuán xùnxí gēn nǐ shuō wǎn’ān.	I’ll message you good night first.

Optional variants: “how strong is this?” + measure words that save you

These mini swaps help you sound natural—and avoid accidentally declaring eternal devotion after one bubble tea.

Softer vs stronger

我喜歡你

wǒ xǐhuān nǐ

“I like you.” Safer and common early on.

Stronger

我愛你

wǒ ài nǐ

“I love you.” Use when you mean it (and can handle the eye contact).

Measure word

一朵花

yì duǒ huā

One flower (朵 is used for flowers).

Measure word

一束花

yì shù huā

A bouquet (束 is used for a bundle/bouquet).

Measure word

一盒巧克力

yì hé qiǎokèlì

A box of chocolates (盒 = box).

Measure word

一封情書

yì fēng qíngshū

A love letter (封 is used for letters).

Measure word

一份禮物

yí fèn lǐwù

A gift (份 feels “a portion/a set,” common for gifts).

Measure word

一次約會

yí cì yuēhuì

One date (次 is used for “times/occurrences”).