msmckee Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Yue tells me LaoPo (rising) is Cantonese, LaoPo (falling) is Mandarin. She likes the term fine. She asks what you call wife here? I say I don't know, many things. I call you darling (among other things). She says, Yes, I like this Link to comment
Dennis143 Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 (edited) When I write to my Nanning girl and call her Lao pua, she calls me Xian Sheng. She prefers tai tai. Here in LA, my Chinese friends tell me that lao pua is old fashioned and that they use tai tai. But, I have mixed results from my many Chinese internet friends. Some laugh at the term lao pua when others find it endearing. So, I suppose it may be a regional thing. Edited August 26, 2005 by Dennis143 (see edit history) Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 So many things to learn Chinese is almost as confusing as English. I had understood that Tai Tai is a term used in Hong Kong and Taiwan. All my Taiwan friends use the term Tai Tai. No one mentions the term Ai Ren which use to be in all the study books about 20 years ago. So when is Qin Ai De used? This was the term I was told to use and I have heard other couples call each other this.149970[/snapback] When my Lao Po and I first met, she used the term 'Xin Ai Ren' (Heart Love Person), which I took to mean boy (or girl) friend. I think she used it all of one time before it gave way to Lao Po and Lao Gong. Link to comment
tonado Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 So many things to learn Chinese is almost as confusing as English. I had understood that Tai Tai is a term used in Hong Kong and Taiwan. All my Taiwan friends use the term Tai Tai. No one mentions the term Ai Ren which use to be in all the study books about 20 years ago. So when is Qin Ai De used? This was the term I was told to use and I have heard other couples call each other this.149970[/snapback]I heard mainland (not HK) people use the term Ai Ren. It means lover. I found it funny to call your wife "lover" because a wife is more than a lover. She can be your best friend and manage the family. In USA, you call your mistress your Lover. Link to comment
BuffaloPaul Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 So many things to learn Chinese is almost as confusing as English. I had understood that Tai Tai is a term used in Hong Kong and Taiwan. All my Taiwan friends use the term Tai Tai. No one mentions the term Ai Ren which use to be in all the study books about 20 years ago. So when is Qin Ai De used? This was the term I was told to use and I have heard other couples call each other this.149970[/snapback]I heard mainland (not HK) people use the term Ai Ren. It means lover. I found it funny to call your wife "lover" because a wife is more than a lover. She can be your best friend and manage the family. In USA, you call your mistress your Lover.150035[/snapback]But you might not want to call her your "partner". My SO was insulted by this since partner is strictly a business word in her mind Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 So many things to learn Chinese is almost as confusing as English. I had understood that Tai Tai is a term used in Hong Kong and Taiwan. All my Taiwan friends use the term Tai Tai. No one mentions the term Ai Ren which use to be in all the study books about 20 years ago. So when is Qin Ai De used? This was the term I was told to use and I have heard other couples call each other this.149970[/snapback]I heard mainland (not HK) people use the term Ai Ren. It means lover. I found it funny to call your wife "lover" because a wife is more than a lover. She can be your best friend and manage the family. In USA, you call your mistress your Lover.150035[/snapback]But you might not want to call her your "partner". My SO was insulted by this since partner is strictly a business word in her mind150046[/snapback] Try peiou (pei4ou3) Link to comment
esun41 Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Interesting spin on these posts. Some like it, some not. My SO calls me Laogong all the time, she says it means husband. I call her Laopo because she tells me it means wife but I usually call her sweetie or beautiful Lucy... something like that. I called her 'baby' once and she was somewhat offended until I explained it was American slang and I was not calling her a baby so I am careful to mix it up a bit like saying 'sweet angel baby' Lucy speaks Cantonese. I wonder if that has something to do with the way laopo-laogong is interpreted! My translation pocket guide is Mandarin and this confuses me some because there are words in there Lucy doesn't speak. Lucy tells me Lao Pengyou means older friend and has had me ducking for cover when she has used a sharp tone of voice when speaking. It seems that she is upset but I was told not to be so sensitive when she speaks like that, it is how she exclamates! (is that a word? my English is only so-so) I have so much to learn!!! Link to comment
tonado Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Lucy tells me Lao Pengyou means older friend and has had me ducking for cover when she has used a sharp tone of voice when speaking. It seems that she is upset but I was told not to be so sensitive when she speaks like that, it is how she exclamates! (is that a word? my English is only so-so) I have so much to learn!!!150055[/snapback]Lao Pengyou means friend(s) you know for a long time. Unlike Mandarin, Cantonese has many harsh tones. Sometimes you think that two persons are yelling to each other. Link to comment
david_dawei Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 So many things to learn Chinese is almost as confusing as English. I had understood that Tai Tai is a term used in Hong Kong and Taiwan. All my Taiwan friends use the term Tai Tai. No one mentions the term Ai Ren which use to be in all the study books about 20 years ago. So when is Qin Ai De used? This was the term I was told to use and I have heard other couples call each other this.149970[/snapback]I heard mainland (not HK) people use the term Ai Ren. It means lover. I found it funny to call your wife "lover" because a wife is more than a lover. She can be your best friend and manage the family. In USA, you call your mistress your Lover.150035[/snapback]I have understood Ai Ren to mean "lovely" , more like love person, ergo: spouse if you are married. Qin Ai [de]= dear... so Qin Ai ren to be dearest person or dearest lover.. again, loving spouse if married.. Ask Lao Po what it means ! Link to comment
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