HSK 3 Chinese Listening _Comprehensible Input_ Date _ Relationship

Chinese definitely has its own concepts when it comes to love and relationships.

In the West, when people say “We’re dating” or “I’m dating so‑and‑so,” it usually describes a stage where two people are getting to know each other, without committing to a solid romantic relationship yet.

In Chinese, this stage basically didn’t exist at all just about 30 years ago. The process was more like this: two people go on a xiāngqīn (相亲), meaning someone sets them up to meet. Then they might meet only a few more times before deciding on a wedding date.

Nowadays, things have moved closer to the Western style, but the language hasn’t fully caught up with the concept. There still isn’t a specific expression that refers to a phase where two people are “just dating for fun or trying out.”

The closest would be 我在追TA(wǒ zài zhuī tā), meaning “I’m pursuing him/her.”

For being in a relationship, we say:

我们在谈恋爱。
(wǒmen zài tán liàn’ài)
This is the most common expression in Mainland China.

我们在交往。
(wǒmen zài jiāowǎng)
This is more common in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

In Mainland Chinese, there’s also a very casual version:
我们在处对象。wǒmen zài chǔ duìxiàng
You’ll hear it maybe 70% of the time in daily life. I personally find it hilariously old‑fashioned.

As for 约会, in Chinese it only refers to going out on a single date — meeting up and doing something together. It doesn’t describe an ongoing romantic stage the way “dating” does in English.

And I give these two more frequently used expressions to say “I have a thing for someone.”
These two lines carry so much culture inside them. You can clearly see how Chinese people prefer emotional expressions that are subtle, indirect, and gentle — not blunt or overly direct.

我对你有好感。
wǒ duì nǐ yǒu hǎogǎn
“I have good feelings toward you / I’m attracted to you.”

我对你有点儿感觉。
wǒ duì nǐ yǒudiǎnr gǎnjué
“I kind of have feelings for you.”

Whether the emotion is strong and deep, or just a light crush, Chinese prefer express it in these soft, understated ways.

Different is Fun, right 😉?
Happy Listening
竹子