Background Information
Dating in China can be very different from the United States. While many American students begin dating in high school and even middle school, dating in China tends to only begin after high school. Mainly, this is due to pressure to prepare for the rigorous college entrance exams. Dating is often heavily discouraged during high school. Where previous generations were more accustomed to arranged marriages, China’s youth are increasingly comfortable with Western-style dating. Simultaneously, interracial couples are slowly becoming more and more commonplace despite disapproval from some families. China’s increasing economic interest in the continent of Africa has also contributed to an increasing number of Chinese-African couples, many of whom choose to live in China.
Why Chinese Schools Are Out to Crush Budding Romances (Sixth Tone)
Chinese dating shows are changing traditional views on love and marriage (Quartz)
Interracial marriages on the rise in China (Al Jazeera)
关于女朋友 About Girlfriends
Suggested Level
Context Information: Zolton is an American student, and 传祥 (Chuánxiáng) is a domestic Chinese student. They are discussing arguments and incompatibility with past girlfriends.
传祥: 我认识她之前她已经有男朋友了。
Zolton: 嗯真的吗？
传祥: 对。
Zolton: 所以你偷她1？
传祥: 也不会，也不是，是她先跟她男朋友分手然后我再追到她。
Zolton: 美国人都说这个。
传祥: 但是我们的感情没有你那么好，没有你跟你女朋友那么好。我们总是会争吵，争执你们呢？你们会吵架吗,？就是有——
Zolton: 当然，可是是普通的事情。
传祥: 嗯。
Zolton: 比如说今天我们去哪儿吃饭。
传祥: (laughing)
Zolton: (laughing) 对。
传祥: 这不是很简单的问题。
Zolton: 因为我吃素她不吃素所以这样——
传祥: 确实我都想跟你吵架你看 (laughing)。
Zolton: (laughing) 对。
传祥: 我跟我女朋友吃东西就，一般经常会有不同的意见但是我们都可以达成共识，就是可以妥协。你知道妥协吗？就是——
Zolton: 不知道。噢我知道]就是 compromise！
传祥: 对对对，我们可以达成妥协——
Zolton: 对我知道。
传祥: 但是我们最大的问题就是我们总是会有，我们会辩论。知道辩论吗？
Zolton: 对我知道。
传祥: 而且我们会有不同的意见对于一些问题2。
Zolton: 这是有什么关系的？3
传祥: 就是总是会，就是说争执就是总是会有不同的意见，总是会，就是说跟对方的意见不同。
Zolton: 嗯。
传祥: 所以说我觉得我跟她一起没有什么共同的地方，大多都是相反的地方所以我觉得我们不合适。
Zolton: 所以新的女朋友在哪儿？这个是问题你应该找到她。
传祥: 每次我，对我应该找到她。我喜欢这个问题。
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1. Here, 偷她 (tōu tā) ‘steal her’ might sound a bit strange to a native speaker. 抢 (qiāng) ‘to grab’ is generally used to describe ‘stealing’ a boyfriend or girlfriend.
2. Here, 我们会有不同的意见对于一些问题 should be ordered 我们会对于一些问题有不同的意见.
3. Here, 这是有什么关系的 might sounds a bit strange to a native speaker. It should be ordered 这有什么关系, without 是 (shì) and 的 (de).
Vocabulary
- 偷 (tōu) To steal
- 分手 (fēnshǒu) To break up (as in a couple)
- 追 (zhuī) To pursue; to woo
- 感情 (gǎnqíng) Emotion; feeling
- 总是 (zōngshì) Always
- 争吵 (zhēngchǎo) To quarrel
- 争执 (zhēngzhí) To disagree
- 吵架 (chǎojià) To quarrel
- 普通 (pǔtōng) Ordinary; common
- 事情 (shìqing) Matter; thing
- 吃素 (chīsù) To be vegetarian
- 确实 (quèshí) Indeed
- 一般 (yìbān) Ordinary
- 经常 (jīngcháng) Often
- 意见 (yìjian) Opinion; view
- 达成 (dáchéng) To reach (an agreement)
- 共识 (gòngshì) A common understanding
- 妥协 (tuǒxié) Compromise
- 辩论 (biànlùn) To argue; to debate
- 对于 (duìyú) Regarding
- 对方 (duìfāng) The other side
- 共同 (gòngtóng) Common; shared
- 大多 (dàduō) Mostly
- 相反 (xiāngfǎn) Opposite
- 适合 (shìhé) To suit; to fit