How to Say “My partner” in Chinese
Relationships and family · HSK 2
"My partner" in Chinese is 我的伴侣 (wǒ de bàn lǚ). 'Partner' is tricky in Chinese because traditional culture assumes marriage. 伴侣 (bànlǚ) is the closest gender-neutral equivalent and works for unmarried or same-sex couples, though it sounds somewhat formal.
Primary translation
我的伴侣
wǒ de bàn lǚ
Traditional: 我的伴侶
Variants by register
Formal
我的伴侣
wǒ de bànlǚ
Casual
我对象
wǒ duìxiàng
When to use it
'Partner' is tricky in Chinese because traditional culture assumes marriage. 伴侣 (bànlǚ) is the closest gender-neutral equivalent and works for unmarried or same-sex couples, though it sounds somewhat formal. In Mainland China, 对象 (duìxiàng) is a super common casual term for a serious romantic partner; boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse. Younger urban Chinese often just say 男朋友/女朋友 (boyfriend/girlfriend) or use 爱人 (àirén, 'spouse') in Mainland; but 爱人 sounds dated in Taiwan, where 老公/老婆 (husband/wife) or 男友/女友 dominate.
Example sentences
我想介绍一下我的伴侣。
Wǒ xiǎng jièshào yíxià wǒ de bànlǚ.
I'd like to introduce my partner.
我对象是做设计的。
Wǒ duìxiàng shì zuò shèjì de.
My partner works in design.
周末我和我伴侣一起去爬山。
Zhōumò wǒ hé wǒ bànlǚ yìqǐ qù páshān.
On weekends my partner and I go hiking together.