Chinese couples tend not to show verbal affection, preferring instead to cuddle or hold hands. Reasons for this include a fear of rejection or loss of face, awkwardness and cultural traditions. Expressing love is an important gesture in any relationship.
In Chinese culture, people express love through actions as much as words. You might decide to demonstrate your love through touch, holding your partner's hand, or cuddling up together when you have a moment alone. It never hurts to do something nice for that special person in your life.
我喜欢你(wǒ xǐhuān nǐ): I like you. 我爱你(wǒ ài nǐ): I love you. Both of these are very direct and commonly used ways to express love, but, “我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ) I love you” of course conveys a stronger and deeper feeling than, “我喜欢你 (wǒ xǐhuān nǐ) I like you”.
In the teaching of Confucius, the emphasis of love locates in actions and duty of a person as a part of his society. A core concept in Confucianism is jen (仁) or ren which means benevolent love or compassion, focuses on duty, action and attitude in a relationship rather than the love itself.
Here's your quick checklist of phrases to say “I love you” in Chinese: Love: 爱 (ài) I love you: 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ) I like you (romantically): 我喜欢你 (wǒ xǐhuan nǐ)
In Chinese culture, it is common to suppress feelings or express them in a non-verbal way. For example, instead of saying, “I love you,” it is common to express love by holding hands, hugging, cuddling, etc. Facial expressions and intonation while speaking are also indicators of emotions while communicating.
The three types of love are the first love, the intense love, and the unconditional love.
Couples will often meet each other through mutual friends or social gatherings. However, online dating and matchmaking are becoming more popular. Intimate relations and public displays of affection are discouraged throughout the country but are becoming more common in cities.
According to Chinese customs, people do not usually express affection publicly. Hugging could be a little too much contact for comfort, especially for people who aren't very close. Many traditional parents do not often hug their children after a certain age, and most Chinese wouldn't hug someone outside their family.
Unlike more westernized beliefs concerning dating, sex and sexual behavior still appear to be outwardly undesired by young Chinese adults of either sex. This conclusion is further supported by the unwillingness of both females and males to kiss on a first date.
Betrothal Gifts Initiate Chinese Courtship
These gifts, often called Tea Presents, included tea (of course), bridal cakes, pairs of male and female chickens, wine, tobacco, sweetmeats, and sugar. The young lady's family reciprocates with gifts of clothing and food.
A simple, soft handshake, a smile, and a friendly 'hi' or 'ni hao' (or 'nin hao' to greet older Chinese people) will often suffice. When addressing Chinese people, address the eldest or most senior person first. Also, address the newly-met people with their honorific title and family name.
Chinese men who are into you will generally make time to contact you frequently — if not every day, then several times a week. He'll call or text you every single evening to wish you a good night or make sure you're home safe. He'll e-mail you every day or every other day to see how you are.
4. “The five constant relationships” (五伦) refers to the five fundamental relationships in Confucian philosophy: those between ruler and subject, father and son, elder brother and younger brother, husband and wife, and friend and friend.
Try some small talk before flirting. Ask “in-depth” questions that require more than a couple of words for an answer. In that same vein, understand that Chinese men tend to be very straightforward with their feelings, something that can be really cool, but might be off-putting if you're not used to that sort of thing.
Purple – the Color of Love
While someone from the West would say that purple is the color of royalty, luxury, ambition, and nobility, things are pretty different in China. Here, purple symbolizes love and it is used just how red is used in the West. Purple also represents strength and spiritual awareness.
爱/愛 (ài) - means love, but it can be translated as “like”, as well. Most likely, if you use 爱, you truly do love them.
Happiness (喜, xǐ), written twice, creates囍, representing twice the happiness. The Double Happiness symbol has traditionally been associated with marriage, the matching pair of characters conveying wishes for happiness to the new couple.
How do you respond? We are usually taught that it's impolite and considered arrogant in Chinese culture to just say “thanks” when you receive a compliment. That's why beginners often learn that a more appropriate response to a compliment is “nǎ lǐ, nǎ lǐ (哪里，哪里), ” which is easy to pronounce and remember.
So whenever you want to express your gratitude in Chinese, it's safe to say xièxiè (谢谢). And because it is a universal formula, it can be used safely in most social interactions.
According to the Chinese gift-giving etiquette, gifts should be well-wrapped. Wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows are fine, especially if they are red (which symbolizes good luck), gold (wealth and fortune) pink and yellow (happiness). It is not appropriate to present a gift in market-like bags.