Chinese word

亲热

Pronunciation

Pinyinqīn rè

Meaning

  • adjectivefriendly

Example

她对客人很亲热。tā duì kè rén hěn qīn rè

She is very friendly toward the guests.

Illustration for 亲热 (friendly)

More examples

他对陌生人显得不太亲热，比较谨慎。tā duì mò shēng rén xiǎn de bú tài qīn rè bǐ jiào jǐn shèn

He seems not very friendly toward strangers and is rather cautious.

Core concept

Warmth that narrows social distance and appears in a person's words, manner, or actions.

Common phrases

  • 对朋友很亲热duì péng yǒu hěn qīn rè

    be very friendly toward friends

  • 和家人很亲热hé jiā rén hěn qīn rè

    be very affectionate with family

  • 对陌生人并不亲热duì mò shēng rén bìng bù qīn rè

    not very friendly toward strangers

Similar words

亲密qīn mì: Showing a close bond marked by deep trust and personal closeness.
亲切qīn qiè: Kind and considerate in speech or behavior, making others feel welcome and at ease.
热情rè qíng: Showing strong enthusiasm by warmly welcoming others or taking an active interest.
友好yóu hǎo: Showing a friendly attitude and willingness to cooperate between people or groups.

Definition in Chinese

表示对他人亲近和热情的态度，常通过言语或动作表现出亲昵，有时伴随身体接触。biǎo shì duì tā rén qīn jìn hé rè qíng de tài dù cháng tōng guò yán yǔ huò dòng zuò biǎo xiàn chū qīn nì yǒu shí bàn suí shēn tǐ jiē chù

Word origin

亲 (qīn, "close") + 热 (rè, "warm") combine the ideas of closeness and warmth into an openly familiar way of treating someone.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, this word can describe a host's lively warmth, but with someone who is not close it can also suggest a more personal manner, so context matters.

Other meanings

  • flirtverb
  • approachableadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word