12 Chinese Expressions on Love and Relationships

Hey guys, welcome to Off the Great Wall. I am Mike Chen. Now you've probably heard phrases like beauty is in the eye of the beholder or there is someone for everyone. Now today we're going to let you in on 12 Chinese expressions that deal with love and relationships. Number one, 八字没一撇. This literally means the character eight doesn't even have one stroke. Now why the number eight? In ancient China, marriages were typically arranged and the parents on both sides would compare what is called 八字 or eight words of the future bride and groom. These eight words are derived from the year, month, day, and time that a person is born and is supposed to be able to accurately tell a person's fortune. And when you compare the two people's eight words, you can tell whether these two people will have a happy marriage together. This is kind of like comparing the 12 Chinese zodiacs and see if you get along with someone, but much more specific and much more accurate. People took this very seriously and if the eight words do not match well, then typically the marriage will not happen. So that is how the number eight fits in. And also looking at the character eight, it contains two strokes, which many people also symbolizes with the bride and the groom. So when people say 八字没一撇 or does he even have one stroke yet, it means that this match or relationship hasn't even started yet. Number two, 天涯何处无芳草 literally means where on all the corners of the earth will you not find fragrant grass? 芳草 or fragrant grass or fragrant plants in this expression means beautiful women. So this expression is basically saying that beautiful women are everywhere or there are plenty of fish in the sea Number three, 一个萝卜一个坑 萝卜 means carrots or radishes and 坑 means a hole in the ground. So this expression literally translates to one carrot or radish, one hole in the ground. So no matter what type of carrot or radish you are, there is a hole in the ground for you. Another meaning of this phrase is that there is a place for everyone in society and that nobody is dispensable. Number four, 女人小坏男人疼爱 literally translates to women little bad, men love dearly. This expression is basically saying that if a woman behaves a little bit mischievously, a man will love you even more dearly. So ladies go behave mischievously, but only a little. Don't put his hand in warm water when he's asleep or something. Number five, 萝卜白菜各有所爱 萝卜 again means carrots or radishes and 白菜 means Chinese cabbage. This literally translates to carrots, cabbage, people have love for each. This phrase is saying that no matter what type of person you are, there's always somebody out there who will love you. This is kind of like that carrot and hole in the ground expression. I know what you're thinking. What is the Chinese fascination with carrots or radishes? Well, we love them. And if you think you relate to other types of vegetables, that's okay. There are people who love each and every vegetable, except for broccoli. Number six, 情人眼里出西施 This phrase literally translates to in a lover's eye, 西施 will appear. Who the heck is this 西施 person? Well, in Chinese history, there are four women that were said to be the most beautiful women in all of Chinese history. Now, Chinese history goes back a long ways and there have been a lot of women. So these were like the four most beautiful. And yes, we will do a video about that later. So for now, all you need to know is that 西施 is super, super, super gorgeous. So of course, this phrase is basically saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But don't go saying this phrase to a person when they're in a relationship like, hey, I saw your wife. It's really 情人眼里出西施. I mean, that's just me. Number seven, 好马不吃回头草 or literally good horse don't eat look behind grass. This phrase is used to mean that if you respect yourself, you will not go back to someone who you were in a previous relationship with. Yes, in this expression, you are a horse, but a good horse. Number eight, 癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉 or toad wants to eat swan meat. Now, this is a really mean phrase that people say. It basically means that you are out of your league, wanting something that you can't have. But honestly, do toads really want to eat swans? Number nine, 男人不坏女人不爱 literally means men not bad, women not love. This one's pretty transparent, right? It's basically saying that women love bad guys. This one is always a good conversation. So let me know if you guys think that this statement is true. Number 10, 兔子不吃窝边草 literally means rabbit does not eat nest side grass. This expression means that people should not start relationships with people they are close to, such as coworkers or neighbors. This expression can also mean even bad people will not harm those who are close to them, such as their family. Number 11, 老牛吃嫩草 or old cow eats fresh grass. This expression is used when you are talking about a much older person who is in a relationship with someone who is much younger than him or her. And finally, number 12, 一朵鲜花插在牛粪 or a beautiful flower sticking out of cow poo. Okay, let this process for a bit. Who is the flower and who is the poo? This expression is basically saying that one partner in the relationship is much more attractive than the other one. Well, there you go, guys. Now remember to use these expressions for good and never evil. And let me know if you'd like to know more Chinese expressions. Please help us share this video, click the subscribe button, like us on Facebook, all that good stuff. 后会有期, that's another one. That's for next time. All right, see ya.