10 Beautiful Chinese Sayings About Love & Devotion
Romantic Chinese sayings about love, devotion, and eternal bonds. These poetic expressions capture the depth of love in Chinese culture.
Chinese literature and poetry have given us some of the most beautiful expressions of love ever written. These 10 sayings capture every facet of devotion - from childhood sweethearts to eternal promises that outlast the stars.
青梅竹马
qīng méi zhú mǎChildhood sweethearts or friends
Literal: Green plums and bamboo horses
This nostalgic idiom pairs green plums (青梅) with bamboo horses (竹马), originating from Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai's verse about childhood playmates. It described children gathering plums while riding makeshift hobby horses crafted from bamboo—a common children's game in ancient China. The specific imag...
Example
The couple had known each other since early childhood, playing together in their village
这对夫妇从小就认识，在村子里一起玩耍
天长地久
tiān cháng dì jiǔEverlasting; eternal
Literal: Heaven is long, earth is lasting
This idiom derives from Chapter 7 of the Daoist classic 'Tao Te Ching' (道德经) by Laozi: 'Heaven and earth are long-lasting.' The phrase uses the eternal nature of heaven (天) and earth (地) as metaphors for permanence and durability. It gained romantic connotations through Tang Dynasty poetry, particul...
Example
Their friendship proved to be as enduring as heaven and earth.
他们的友谊天长地久，永不改变。
心心相印
xīn xīn xiāng yìnPerfect mutual understanding; hearts in harmony
Literal: Heart and heart mutually seal
This idiom describes hearts (心心) mutually (相) sealing or imprinting upon (印) each other. It comes from Chan (Zen) Buddhism describing the wordless transmission of understanding between master and disciple. The phrase evolved to describe perfect mutual understanding in any close relationship. Modern ...
Example
The couple understood each other perfectly without words.
这对夫妻心心相印，无需言语。
一见钟情
yī jiàn zhōng qíngLove at first sight
Literal: One glance, feelings concentrate
This idiom describes at one (一) glance (见) feelings (情) concentrate (钟). It captures the experience of instant romantic attraction where love strikes at first sight. The phrase appeared in classical literature describing sudden, overwhelming romantic feelings. Modern usage describes love at first si...
Example
He fell in love with her the moment he saw her.
他第一眼见到她就一见钟情。
海枯石烂
hǎi kū shí lànUntil the end of time; eternal love
Literal: Seas dry, stones rot
This idiom describes seas (海) drying up (枯) and stones (石) rotting (烂). These are impossibilities that would take eternity - seas don't dry and stones don't rot. The phrase represents eternal commitment. Modern usage in romantic contexts expresses undying love, promises that will last until the impo...
Example
She promised to love him forever, no matter what happens.
她承诺无论发生什么，都会爱他到海枯石烂。
难分难舍
nán fēn nán shěBe inseparable; hate to part
Literal: Hard to part, hard to leave
This idiom describes being hard (难) to part (分) and hard (难) to leave (舍). It depicts the pain of separation when attachment is strong. The doubled structure emphasizes the difficulty of saying goodbye. Modern usage describes the emotional difficulty of parting from loved ones, the reluctance to end...
Example
The farewell was emotional as neither wanted to say goodbye.
告别时他们难分难舍，都不想说再见。
恋恋不舍
liàn liàn bù shěBe deeply reluctant to leave
Literal: Attached and unwilling to part
This idiom describes being attached (恋恋) and unwilling (不舍) to leave. Similar to 依依不舍 but with stronger emotional attachment through the character 恋 (love, attachment). Modern usage describes leaving places, people, or experiences one loves, the deep reluctance born from genuine attachment rather th...
Example
She kept looking back as she left her childhood home.
离开童年的家时，她恋恋不舍地频频回望。
魂牵梦萦
hún qiān mèng yíngYearn day and night
Literal: Soul pulled, dreams haunted
This idiom describes the soul (魂) being pulled (牵) and dreams (梦) being haunted (萦). It depicts longing so intense it occupies both waking and sleeping thoughts. The phrase captures obsessive yearning. Modern usage describes missing someone or something so deeply that thoughts of them pervade consci...
Example
Her homeland remained constantly in her thoughts.
她魂牵梦萦地想念着故乡。
朝思暮想
zhāo sī mù xiǎngThink about constantly; yearn for
Literal: Think in morning, yearn at night
This idiom describes thinking (思) in the morning (朝) and yearning (想) at night (暮). It depicts constant preoccupation from dawn to dusk. The phrase captures the experience of having someone or something always on one's mind. Modern usage describes intense longing that fills all hours, whether for ab...
Example
He constantly thinks about his family back home.
他朝思暮想着远方的家人。
举案齐眉
jǔ àn qí méiMarried couple with great mutual respect
Literal: Raise tray level with eyebrows
This idiom describes raising (举) a food tray (案) level (齐) with one's eyebrows (眉). It comes from the story of Meng Guang who showed deep respect for her husband Liang Hong by always raising his food tray to eye level when serving him. Modern usage describes marriages characterized by deep mutual re...
Example
Their relationship exemplifies mutual respect and devotion.
他们的关系是举案齐眉的典范。
Quick Reference
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