HSK 2 · Article · 189 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-say-i-love-you-in-chinese

妈妈不说“我爱你”

How to say I love you in Chinese

Name: ________________ Date: ________

中文zhōngwén的de“I love you”，是shì“我wǒ爱ài你nǐ”。三sān个gè字zì，很hěn好说shuō。

可是kěshì很hěn多duō中国zhōngguó爸爸bàba妈妈māma，很hěn少shǎo说shuō“我wǒ爱ài你nǐ”。

我wǒ在zài北京běijīng上shàng大学dàxué。每个měigè星期天xīngqītiān，妈妈māma都dōu给gěi我wǒ打电话dǎdiànhuà。

她tā问wèn：“吃饭chīfàn了le吗ma？”“天气tiānqì冷lěng了le，多duō穿chuān点儿diǎnr衣服yīfu。”“钱qián够不够gòubugòu？”

她tā不bù说shuō“我wǒ爱ài你nǐ”。可是kěshì我wǒ知道zhīdào，这些zhèxiē话huà，都dōu是shì“我wǒ爱ài你nǐ”。

在zài网上wǎngshàng，很hěn多duō人rén说shuō“五二零wǔ’èrlíng”，因为yīnwèi“五二零wǔ’èrlíng”和hé“我wǒ爱ài你nǐ”听起来tīngqǐlai差不多chàbuduō。五月wǔyuè二十èrshí号hào，很hěn多duō人rén买mǎi花huā，说shuō“我wǒ爱ài你nǐ”。

今年jīnnián五月wǔyuè二十èrshí号hào，我wǒ给gěi妈妈māma打电话dǎdiànhuà：“妈妈māma，五二零wǔ’èrlíng！”

妈妈māma问wèn：“什么shénme五二零wǔ’èrlíng？你nǐ的de钱qián不够búgòu了le？”

我wǒ笑xiào了le：“妈妈māma，我wǒ爱ài你nǐ。”

电话diànhuà那边nàbiān，很hěn久jiǔ没有méiyǒu声音shēngyīn。

后来hòulái，妈妈māma说shuō：“那nà，你nǐ吃饭chīfàn了le吗ma？”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
中文zhōngwénChinese (language)
爱àito love; love
三sānthree
字zìcharacter; written word
很hěnvery; quite
说shuōto speak; to say
多duōmany; much
中国zhōngguóChina
爸爸bàbadad; father
妈妈māmamom; mother
少shǎofew; little
上shàngup; above; on

English (for the teacher)

“I love you” in Chinese is 我爱你. Three characters, easy to say.

But lots of Chinese mums and dads hardly ever say “I love you”.

I’m at university in Beijing. Every Sunday, Mum calls me.

She asks, “Have you eaten?” “It’s getting cold, put on more clothes.” “Have you got enough money?”

She doesn’t say “I love you”. But I know that all these words mean “I love you”.

Online, lots of people say 520, “five two zero”, because 五二零 (wǔ èr líng) sounds a lot like 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ). On the twentieth of May, lots of people buy flowers and say “I love you”.

This year on the twentieth of May, I called Mum. “Mum, 520!”

Mum asked, “What 520? Have you run out of money?”

I laughed. “Mum, I love you.”

For a long time, there was no sound at the other end.

Then Mum said, “So… have you eaten?”