n.
spouse; husband; wife
爱人
Common Usage & Traps
- 我爱人 — my spouse (common, often without 的)
- 我的爱人 — my spouse (slightly formal or affectionate)
- 和爱人一起 — together with one's spouse
- 爱人在家 — one's spouse is at home
- 你爱人在哪儿工作？ — Where does your spouse work?
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我的爱人我的男朋友 / 我的女朋友爱人 implies a married spouse in mainland Mandarin. Calling a boyfriend or girlfriend 爱人 makes people assume you are married or using old-fashioned language.
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我的爱人我的亲人 / 我的朋友爱+人 looks like 'loved person', but 爱人 is a fixed word for spouse. It cannot mean any person you love.
Can I call my boyfriend or girlfriend 爱人 before we get married?
No — 爱人 means spouse, so it tells people you are married.
In mainland Chinese, 爱人 is the standard word for husband or wife. If you introduce a boyfriend or girlfriend as 我的爱人, people will assume you are married. For unmarried partners, say 男朋友 or 女朋友. “星期日和天， 日日和爱人， 超市买菜米， 回家做饭忙。” (Sunday and the day, every day with my loved one, buying groceries at the supermarket, busy cooking at home.) ── [《一到十二月》](/read/twelve-months-daily-life#s5)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Boyfriend/girlfriend | 我的男朋友 / 我的女朋友 | 我的爱人 |
| Married spouse | 我的爱人 / 我丈夫 / 我妻子 | 我的男朋友 / 我的女朋友 |
Does 爱人 mean 'spouse' everywhere, or can it mean 'lover' in Taiwan?
In Taiwan, 爱人 often means lover or affair partner, not legal spouse.
Mainland Mandarin uses 爱人 for spouse. In Taiwan, 愛人 often sounds like lover or affair partner. If you say it in Taipei, people may hear lover or mistress instead of husband or wife. For spouse in Taiwan, say 先生 or 太太.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland meaning | 我的爱人 = my spouse | 我的爱人 = my lover |
| Taiwan meaning | 我先生 / 我太太 = my spouse | 我爱人 = can mean my lover or affair partner |
Should I say 我爱人 or 我丈夫/我妻子 when I introduce my spouse?
爱人 is correct, but it can sound official or old-fashioned in casual chat.
Use 爱人 when you want a neutral word for husband or wife. It works in formal writing and older speech. In everyday talk, 丈夫 and 妻子 are clearer and less stiff. If you say 我的爱人 to a friend, it may sound like a news report.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral spouse | 我的爱人 | 我的丈夫 / 我的妻子 (if you want to be specific) |
| Specific husband | 我丈夫 | 我爱人 (if gender matters) |
| Specific wife | 我妻子 | 我爱人 (if gender matters) |
| Casual modern chat | 我丈夫 / 我妻子 | 我的爱人 (can sound stiff or old) |
Featured in Story Deep Dive
Follow how this word unfolds across the narrative arc of this graded story.
Welcome! This short poem helps you practice the months, weekdays, and mealtimes in Chinese. Read it aloud and notice the rhythm. You already know many of these words!
- Scene #1
星期日和天，日日和 爱人 ，超市买菜米，回家做饭忙。
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