very silly post but i wanted to unwind a bit so i thought i would rate chinese endearments!
å®č“ļ¼classic, casual endearment. i call my cats this, has a similar feel to "babe" for me. 4/5, one point deducted because it's pretty basic.
å®å®ļ¼like a cutesier version of å®č“, i would never call a romantic partner this, but it's great for pets and children. 3.5/5, points deducted because it can sound kind of trite or cringey.
äŗ²ē±ēļ¼much more formal, has a similar feel to "beloved" or "darling" to me. arguably my favourite endearment because it literally means "[one] who is an intimate love". 5/5 if an s/o called me this i would melt.
č[å§å]ļ¼this can come off as overtly lovey-dovey at times but it's also really common among married or long-term couples. it doesn't really have an english comparison but personally i think it's very sweet. it can also be used teasingly which i enjoy. 4.5/5 with 0.5 points taken off because it can sound kind of old-fashioned.
čå©/čå
¬ļ¼an even more married version of the above; this feels much more teasing to me, though. 4/5 with one point deducted because unfortunately čå
¬ can also mean eunuch (oops).
(č)ēēø(ē²¾)ļ¼i've only ever heard this in dramas as a reference to a man, but it's meant to call someone sly or cunning. can be admonishing, but can also be an affectionate reproval. can also be used for women, but then to me it comes off as a bit more judgemental, so 4/5.
å°å„ļ¼technically a descriptor of a young man, but i'm personally attached to this as a term of endearment, and if someone called me this i would be smitten. i think it has been gaining some popularity among chinese sapphics, especially butch lesbians/T's? but unfortunately i don't.............really use social media so i can't confirm this.
å§å§/å„å„ļ¼these are technically originally terms for older brothers/sisters, but they're also used for people of the same generation who are older than you, and can be used in a flirty way. 4/5 only because non-chinese english speakers can get kind of weird about them.
å-/å°-ļ¼personally i prefer the å- suffix over å°- because å°- sounds like you're talking to a child to me, but i'm aware this is very regional. not overly romantic, but can be very sweet, so i'm giving it a 3.5/5.
those are all the ones i can think of off the top of my head, but if you have any others you can think of, let me know!
ellievsbear
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
blakekathryn
tangentwithtanner
stormborns
titsay
