Meaning of 爱人
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- spouse (PRC)
- lover (non-PRC)
Measure word: 個|个
How to use 爱人
In mainland China, 爱人 is a common, slightly formal or older-style way to say husband or wife, and it works for either gender. Younger speakers often prefer 老公 (lǎogōng) or 老婆 (lǎopo) in casual talk. Example: 这是我爱人。(Zhè shì wǒ àiren.) This is my spouse.
爱 (ài) means love and 人 (rén) means person, so 爱人 is literally the person you love. In mainland China, that person is usually the one you married.
Common mistake: Learners often use 爱人 to mean boyfriend or girlfriend, but in the PRC it means a married partner, so use 男朋友 (nán péngyou) or 女朋友 (nǚ péngyou) for someone you are dating. Also note that 人 is usually read in the neutral tone here, àiren, not àirén.
爱人 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
爱 ài · to love · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
人 rén · person · 2 strokes
- 1
- 2
Related words
Words that share a character with 爱人.
| 女人 | nǚrén | woman |
| 男人 | nánrén | a man; a male |
| 别人 | biérén | other people; others; other person |
| 家人 | jiārén | family member; (old) servant |
| 病人 | bìngrén | sick person; patient |
| 工人 | gōngrén | worker |
| 老人 | lǎorén | old man or woman; the elderly |
| 爱好 | àihào | to like; to be fond of; to take pleasure in; to be keen on; interest; hobby |
| 有人 | yǒu rén | someone; people |
| 人们 | rénmen | people |
| 可爱 | kě'ài | adorable; cute |
| 大人 | dàren | adult; grownup |
Questions about 爱人
What does 爱人 mean?
爱人 (àiren) means "spouse (PRC); lover (non-PRC)" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 爱人?
爱人 is made of 2 characters: 爱 (10 strokes), 人 (2 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 爱人 an HSK word?
Yes. 爱人 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 爱人 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 爱人 is written 愛人.
Does 爱人 mean the same thing in Taiwan as in mainland China?
No. The dictionary notes that outside the PRC, 爱人 tends to mean lover rather than spouse. In Taiwan, people more often say 先生 (xiānsheng) for husband and 太太 (tàitai) for wife.
Can I use 爱人 for both husband and wife?
Yes. 爱人 is gender neutral, so a man and a woman can both call their spouse 我爱人 (wǒ àiren). The context tells you whether it is a husband or a wife.