How to say “boyfriend” in Chinese
🔊 Tap to hear it
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
Two rising tones in a row (nán, péng) then a neutral 友; keep both rises distinct rather than sliding through them. Drop the 男 and it's just 'friend', so that first syllable carries the meaning.
In a sentence
Zhè shì wǒ nánpéngyou.
This is my boyfriend.
Hear it and say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio and scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "boyfriend" in Chinese?+
"boyfriend" in Mandarin Chinese is 男朋友, pronounced nánpéngyou. Two rising tones in a row (nán, péng) then a neutral 友; keep both rises distinct rather than sliding through them. Drop the 男 and it's just 'friend', so that first syllable carries the meaning.
What does 男朋友 mean literally?+
男朋友 breaks down as 男 (nán) = male, 朋友 (péngyou) = friend. Together it means "boyfriend".
How do I get the tones right in nánpéngyou?+
Two rising tones in a row (nán, péng) then a neutral 友; keep both rises distinct rather than sliding through them. Drop the 男 and it's just 'friend', so that first syllable carries the meaning.
More phrases like this
Master the tones behind it
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
On iPhone, Android and the web
ToneDeck is on the App Store. The trainer works right now.
Download ToneDeck for iPhone or Android today. One account unlocks Pro on both the app and the web. Prefer the browser? The full tone trainer runs at tonedeck.app right now, no install, free to start.
Sign up free and start trainingSee all the phrases on the how to say things in Chinese index, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.