Have you noticed that pet names are different in every language? In English, people say "babe," "sweetheart," or "sweetie," but Spanish speakers use other words. What are the closest matches in other languages? If you’re learning Mandarin, Tagalog, or Spanish, knowing a few pet names can be really helpful. Let’s look at some heartwarming terms of endearment from around the world.
Terms of Endearment in Romance Languages
In Romance languages, people often use food, sweet words, and cute endings to show affection. French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian all use Latin-based words to express love.
1) French
The French " mon chou" (masc) [mɔ̃ ʃu] or the diminutive "ma choupette" (fem) [ma ʃupɛt] - literally translated as "my cabbage" and "my little cabbage," can be translated in English as "sweetheart."
A popular French pet name compares a loved one to a cabbage, which might sound odd to English speakers. In France, small cabbages are considered round, tender, and cute. The word "chou" can also mean cream puff, so it has both a sweet and a food-related meaning in French culture.
2) Spanish
Spanish speakers often use poetic words for pet names, like "mi cielo" [mi ˈθjelo] in Spain and [mi ˈsjelo] in Latin America, which means "my sky." This phrase shows how important the sky is in Spanish culture, representing how much someone means to you. It’s a bit like saying "my sunshine" or "my world" in English, but with its own special romantic feeling.
Spanish terms of endearment go beyond "mi cielo." Other examples are "mi vida" [mi ˈβiða], meaning "my life," "mi amor" [mi aˈmoɾ], "my love," and "corazón" [koɾaˈθon] or [koɾaˈson], meaning "heart," commonly used across Spain and Latin America.
3) Italian
Some of the most popular Italian pet names are "polpetta" [polˈpɛt.ta] for women and "polpetto" [polˈpɛt.to] for men, both meaning "little meatball." Meatballs are a big part of Italian food, especially at family dinners on Sundays. They stand for warmth, comfort, and coziness, much like the French "chou."
4) Portuguese
In Portuguese, you'd use "querido" [keˈɾiðu] for a man or "querida" [keˈɾiðɐ] for a woman you love, both translating as "dear" or "honey." These words can also be used for close friends or children, showing that the person is special and treasured. In Brazilian Portuguese, you might also hear "gatinho" [ɡaˈtʃĩɲu] for a man or "gatinha" [ɡaˈtʃĩɲa] for a woman, literally translated as "little cat."
5) Romanian
Every language has its own special way of showing affection. In Romanian, couples often use "pui" [puj], meaning "chick," or the diminutive "puișor" [ˈpujsor] for both men and women. Calling someone a "chick" shows they are cute and a bit vulnerable, like saying "baby" or "darling" in English, but it comes from rural life, where chicks are loved and cared for.
Couple nicknames in Germanic Languages
In Germanic languages, people often use cute endings and down-to-earth imagery to express love, unlike in Romance languages. Adding endings like "-chen" in German, "-je" in Dutch, or "-ling" in Scandinavian languages turns normal words into sweet nicknames. Comparing your significant other with an animal is common, expressing love by making things sound small and gentle.
6) German
A sweet German pet name is "Mausebär" ("mouse-bear"), which mixes something small and something strong to show affection. Other common terms are "Schatz" ("treasure"), "Liebling" ("darling"), "Mäuschen" ("little mouse"), "Häschen" ("little bunny"), and "Herzchen" ("little heart").
7) Dutch
A unique Dutch pet name is "Schattebout" [ˈsxɑtəbʌu̯t], which means "treasure-rascal." Dutch people like to mix affection with a bit of teasing, combining "schat" (treasure) with "bout" (from "boef," meaning scamp or rogue). This shows that in Dutch culture, showing love often means accepting and even enjoying a loved one’s playful side.
Dutch speakers often use "Schat" ("treasure") and "Lieverd" ("dear one") as pet names. By adding the "-je" ending, they make cute nicknames like "Schatje" ("little treasure"), "Beestje" ("little beast"), "Konijntje" ("little rabbit"), "Dropje" ("little licorice"), and "Koekje" ("little cookie").
8) Swedish
One of the sweetest Swedish pet names is "älskling" [ˈɛ̂lːsklɪŋ], which means "little beloved" or "love-ling." In Sweden, this word feels even more personal than "darling" in English. It comes from Old Norse and uses the ending "-ling," like in "darling" or "duckling." The word makes someone sound so precious that you want to hold and protect them, which fits Swedish ideas of tenderness. Other common names are "käraste" [ˈɕæ̂ːrastɛ] ("most dear"), the playful "sötnos" [ˈsø̂ːtˌnuːs] ("sweet-nose," like "sweetie"), and "loppan" [ˈlɔ̂pːan] ("the flea," a cute way to show affection). "Gumman" [ˈɡɵ̂mːan] ("old woman") and "gubben" [ˈɡɵ̂bːɛn] ("old man") are also used lovingly between Swedish couples, showing warmth rather than age.
9) Norwegian
In Norwegian, you can call your loved one "kjæreste" [ˈçæːrəstə], which means "the dearest." Using this word shows that the person is number one in your eyes. Other pet names include "Skatten" [ˈskɑtːn̩] ("the treasure"), "Gullet" [ˈɡʉlːɛt] ("the gold"), and "Musa" [ˈmʉ̀ːsɑ] ("the mouse"), all meaning "this is my special person." For a playful touch, there’s "pjokken" [ˈpjɔkːn̩], which means "the little rascal." Another gentle option is "elskling" [ˈɛlsklɪŋ], an old Viking word for "little loved one," perfect for showing closeness.
10) Danish
A popular Danish pet name for a partner is "skat" [sgæːˀd], which means "treasure." For even more warmth, Danes say "skatten" [ˈsgæːˀð̩n̩]. The word has a special Danish sound called "stød," a short pause that makes it feel extra close and personal.
While Norwegians often call their loved ones "first place," Danes like cozy, animal-inspired names. "Pus" [pus] or "pusling" [ˈpusleŋˀ], meaning "kitten" or "little kitty," are favorites. Danish also keeps old Viking words like "Elskling" [ˈɛlsg̊leŋˀ] (from "elske," meaning "to love"), which means "little loved one." This word shows a love so dear that you want to keep it close.
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Terms of Endearment in Slavic Languages
In Slavic languages, people often use cute endings and images from daily life to show affection, shaped by tough history and climate. For example, a "bear" becomes "little bear," and "gold" turns into "little gold." These names show how important animals and warmth are in Slavic cultures. Russian speakers use "солнышко" [ˈsonɨʂkə], which means "little sun." This is especially true in Russia, where winters are long and cold, so the sun symbolizes warmth and comfort. The ending "-ishko" adds not just "little" but also a touch of extra tenderness, making the word even more loving.
11) Polish
In Polish, "misiu" ("little bear") is a popular pet name for both men and women, inspired by Poland’s forests. It’s a lot like calling someone a teddy bear in English.
12) Czech
A typical term of affection in Czech is "zlatíčko" [ˈzlat̪iːt͡ʃko], which means "little gold." It is like calling your partner "my teeny-tiny gold nugget," an endearing pet name. Czech people may also refer to a loved one with "láska" [ˈlaːska], "love," reserved for lovers. Other options include "miláček" [ˈmɪlaːtʃɛk], meaning "sweetheart" or "darling," as well as "kočička" [ˈko̯tʃɪtʃka], "little kitten" for women, and "medvídek" [ˈmɛdvɪdɛk], "little bear" for men. Well-known for its wheat fields, which depend on the sun. That is one of the reasons they might call the person they love "сонечко" [soˈnɛt͡ʃko], translated in English as "little sun." Other favorites include "зайчик" [ˈzɑj.t͡ʃɪk], meaning "little bunny," as well as "рибка" [ˈrɪp.kɑ], which means "little fish," and "серденько" [serˈdɛnʲ.ko] or "little heart."
13) Croatian
In Croatian, pet names often go beyond just warmth and softness. People use "dušo" [ˈduːʃo] ("soul"), "zlatko" [ˈzlâtko] ("little gold"), "medo" [ˈmêdo] ("bear"), "macko" [ˈmâːt͡ʃko] ("little cat"), and "bubo" [ˈbûbo], a playful word like "silly goose" or "goofball." Other fun names are "štrumf" [ˈʃtrûmf], borrowed from "Smurf," and the classic "ljubavi" [ʎûbavi], which means "my love" and is the most direct way to address a romantic partner.
Asian Languages
In Asian languages, pet names often reflect social rules, such as relationship, status, and duty. Sometimes, the word for "you" shows who the protector is. A word for "beloved" can even hint that love and sadness are closely linked. Borrowing English words for modern romance while reserving native terms for more special moments.
14) Japanese
Modern Japanese, like English, uses "ハニー" [haɲiː] ("honey") as a pet name. Other favorites are "ダーリン" [daːɾin] ("darling"), "ベイビー" [be̞i̞biː] ("baby"), and the native word "君" [kʲimi] ("you"), which sounds gentle and a bit nostalgic. "君" is often heard in songs and poems, not so much in daily talk.
15) Chinese
In Traditional Chinese, couple pet names are warm and affectionate, much like in English. Common terms include "宝贝" [pɑʊ˨˩pɛɪ˨˩˦] ("precious treasure"), a sweet nickname for romantic partners that once meant "currency" long ago, " and translates as "baby." Other examples are "亲爱的" [tɕʰin˥˩aɪ˧˥tə] ("dear one") for family or lovers, "宝宝" [pɑʊ˧˥pɑʊ˧˥] ("baby"), often doubled for extra cuteness, and "甜心" [tʰjɛn˧˥ɕin˥] ("sweet heart").
In Traditional Chinese, endearments tend to feel especially touching and heartfelt. Favorites are 心肝 (xīngān) [ɕin˥kan˥] ("heart and liver"), meaning your partner is as essential as your vital organs; 乖乖 (guāiguāi) [kwaɪ˥kwaɪ˥] ("obedient one"), playful for kids or sweethearts; 笨蛋 (bèndàn) [pən˥˩tɑn˥˩] ("silly egg"), teasing yet loving; and 老公/老婆 (lǎogōng/lǎopó) [lɑʊ˨˩kʊŋ˥ / lɑʊ˨˩pʰɤ˧˥] ("old husband/old wife"), everyday spouse nicknames.
16) Arabic
The famous "حبيبي" [ħaˈbiːbi] is used for men, and "حبيبتي" [ħaˈbiːbti] for women. Both mean "my beloved" and are common in daily life and love songs. Other romantic names are "عمري" [ʕumri] ("my life"), "قلبي" [qalbi] ("my heart"), and "روحي" [ruːħi] ("my soul").
17) Hindi
The word "मेरी जान" [meːɾiː d͡ʒaːn] means "my life," and it's a popular one in everyday life and BollywThe phrase "मेरी जान" [meːɾiː d͡ʒaːn] means "my life" and is popular in daily life and Bollywood movies. Women say "मेरा जान" [meːɾaː d͡ʒaːn] to men. Both show that the loved one is more important than anything else. Other pet names are "प्यार" [pjaːɾ] ("love"), "सोना" [soːna] ("gold"), for someone very precious, and "शोना" [ʃoːna], which means "sweet one." Adding "-ım" makes it yours alone. Turks also use "aşkım" [aʃˈkɯm], "my love," "balım" [baˈlɯm], "my honey," and "tatlım" [tatˈlɯm], "my sweet."
18) Thai
In Thai, you can call your loved one "ที่รัก" [tʰiː˧ rak˦˥], which means "the one who is loved." Couples also use "หวานใจ" [wǎːn tɕaɪ] ("sweet heart," literally "sweet-liver") or "ตัวเอง" [tuːa ʔeːŋ] ("myself"), which shows unity, like the Korean "jagi." Men might use "น้อง" [nɔː˦˥] ("younger sibling") to show care and protection.
19) Vietnamese
In Vietnamese, you can say "em yêu" [em iəʔ] for women and "anh yêu" [aɲ iəʔ] for men, both meaning "beloved." Couples also use "cưng" ("darling"), which comes from the word "to pamper"; "bé" ("little one"), and "chồng ơi" [cɔŋ͡m˨˩ ʔɔi˧] / "vợ ơi" [vɤ˨˩ ʔɔi˧] ("husband oh / wife oh").
20) Indonesian
In Indonesian, "sayang" [ˈsa.jaŋ] means "dear," "love," or even "longing." Other pet names are "cinta" ("love"), "kasih" ("affection"), and "beb," which is like "babe" and is often used in text messages.
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Many people want to learn a new language so they can say "I love you" in it. Love and affection are great reasons to start learning. It means a lot to your partner when you use pet names like "my love," "darling," or "honey" in their own language. FunEasyLearn can help you connect with different cultures through language. The app helps millions of people communicate across cultures.
Many people want to learn a new language so they can say "I love you" in it. Love and affection are great reasons to start learning. It means a lot to your partner when you use pet names like "my love," "darling," or "honey" in their own language. FunEasyLearn can help you connect with different cultures through language. The app helps millions of people communicate across cultures.
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