Jealousy & couple fights in Chinese 吃醋吵架
chīcù chǎojià
Be jealous in Chinese is 吃醋 (chī cù).
Also searched for as: jealous, jealousy, couple fight, lovers' quarrel, argument with boyfriend, argument with girlfriend.
Every couple fights. Here's how to fight (and make up) in Chinese. 15 essential jealousy & couple fights words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Jealousy in a relationship is 吃醋 (chī cù), literally "to eat vinegar", and a partner who gets jealous easily is a 醋坛子 (cù tán zi), a "vinegar jar". The vocabulary of couple fights runs from 吵架 (chǎo jià), a row, to 冷战 (lěng zhàn), not speaking, and finally to 哄 (hǒng), coaxing your partner back into a good mood so you can 和好 (hé hǎo).
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 吃醋 | chī cù | to be jealous (in love) |
| 醋坛子 | cù tán zi | the jealous type (lit. vinegar jar) |
| 嫉妒 | jí dù | to envy; to be jealous of |
| 吵架 | chǎo jià | to argue; to have a row |
| 生气 | shēng qì | to be angry |
| 哄 | hǒng | to coax; to cheer someone up |
| 道歉 | dào qiàn | to apologise |
| 冷战 | lěng zhàn | cold war; not speaking to each other |
| 冷暴力 | lěng bào lì | the silent treatment; stonewalling |
| 查手机 | chá shǒu jī | to check someone's phone |
| 前任 | qián rèn | ex |
| 作 | zuō | to make a fuss; to be a drama queen |
| 你听我解释 | nǐ tīng wǒ jiě shì | let me explain |
| 没事 | méi shì | I'm fine (often meaning the opposite) |
| 和好 | hé hǎo | to make up |
Usage tips
- 吃醋 (chī cù) is romantic jealousy, while 嫉妒 (jí dù) is envy of someone's success, looks or luck. If your partner is jealous of your ex, they 吃醋; if you envy a colleague's promotion, you 嫉妒 them.
- 没事 (méi shì) after a fight rarely means "I'm fine". Most people treat it as a cue to keep on 哄 (hǒng), not to drop the subject.
- 作 (zuō), meaning to make a fuss or create drama on purpose, is a colloquial word with a different tone from the everyday 作 (zuò). Couples use it teasingly, but in a real argument it can sting.
Common mistakes
- Learners say 我吃醋她 (wǒ chī cù tā) for "I'm jealous of her", but 吃醋 doesn't take an object. Say 我吃她的醋 (wǒ chī tā de cù).
- 冷暴力 (lěng bào lì) is much stronger than 冷战 (lěng zhàn). A 冷战 is a mutual sulk after a fight, while 冷暴力 suggests deliberate, hurtful silence over time, so they aren't interchangeable.
Mini dialogue
- A你怎么不说话？是不是吃醋了？Nǐ zěn me bù shuō huà? Shì bu shì chī cù le?Why aren't you talking? Are you jealous?
- B没事。Méi shì.I'm fine.
- A你听我解释，她是我同事，我们只是在讨论工作。Nǐ tīng wǒ jiě shì, tā shì wǒ tóng shì, wǒ men zhǐ shì zài tǎo lùn gōng zuò.Let me explain, she's my colleague and we were just talking about work.
- B那你为什么不早说？Nà nǐ wèi shén me bù zǎo shuō?Then why didn't you say so earlier?
- A是我不好，跟你道歉。别生气了，晚上请你吃火锅。Shì wǒ bù hǎo, gēn nǐ dào qiàn. Bié shēng qì le, wǎn shang qǐng nǐ chī huǒ guō.My fault, I'm sorry. Don't be angry, I'll take you out for hotpot tonight.
- B好吧，这次就原谅你。Hǎo ba, zhè cì jiù yuán liàng nǐ.Fine, I'll forgive you this time.
Example sentences
- 你是不是吃醋了？Are you jealous?
- 他是个醋坛子。He's the jealous type.
- 我有点嫉妒她。I'm a bit jealous of her.
- 我们昨天又吵架了。We had another row yesterday.
- 你还在生气吗？Are you still angry?
- 她生气了，快去哄哄她。She's upset, go and cheer her up.
- 你先跟她道歉吧。You should apologise to her first.
- 他们已经冷战三天了。They haven't spoken to each other for three days.
- 冷暴力也是一种伤害。The silent treatment hurts too.
- 我最受不了对象查手机。I can't stand it when a partner checks my phone.
- 你怎么还跟前任联系？Why are you still in touch with your ex?
- 你别作了好不好？Can you stop making a scene?
- 你听我解释，不是你想的那样！Let me explain, it's not what it looks like!
- 她说“没事”，其实很生气。She said "I'm fine", but she was actually really angry.
- 我们已经和好了。We've already made up.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Jealousy & couple fights speaking island has 8 everyday questions about jealousy & couple fights to prepare your own answers to.