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About This Quiz
If your significant other called you "sweetheart," you'd probably give them a smile, but what if they called you fat!? Before you send a punch their way, let's travel around the world and see if you recognize these terms of endearment!
In the United States, we're used to terms of endearment that sound completely affectionate: honey, sugar, baby. More recent years have caused us to adopt the cringe-worthy 'bae.' While we're used to these sweet-sounding terms, traveling around the world might give you and your relationship a literal culture shock! While it might be rare to hear someone refer to their significant other as a dove or bunny, 'pet names' are especially popular in the rest of the world. In parts of Europe, you'll hear couples calling each other fleas, mice, and even ducks.
American pet names might not include a whole variety of pets, but we're no stranger to "tasty" terms of endearment. Hearing couples call each other pumpkin or cupcake seems completely normal. What if you heard a couple refer to each other as a cabbage? In Poland, you might even find couples calling each other breadcrumb. The names we've come to know certainly sound sweet, but it's not the same across the planet; in Belgium, you might be slightly shaken being called "my little round thing."
Regardless of the way they sound, your "sweetie" might be another person's "ugly one." Can you recognize love in any culture? Can you prove that there's only one language of love? Let's find out!
In Spanish, your love can't go on without "mi corazon."
My eyes
My heart
A common term in many different cultures, you'll hear the Spanish speakers referring to their partners as "mi corazon" or "my heart."
My soul
My hands
A Russian boyfriend or girlfriend might call you "pupsik."
Finger
Baby
Another term of endearment in Russia is the word, "pupsik." It best translates into English as the word "baby," but it is also known for being a small baby doll for children.
Box
Candle
In South America, you'll find the Portuguese speakers flirting with the word "gato" or "gata."
Cat
While the Portuguese word translates to "cat," you'll find Brazilians using this word to call a man or woman 'cool' and 'good-looking.'
Dog
Bunny
Snake
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A Russian lover might call you "golubchik" if you're a male or "golubushka" if you're female.
Card
Dove
You'll find pet names in every culture! While we're saying "dove" in the United States, Russians are saying "golubchik"or "golubushka."
Nail
Sun
A trip to Berlin or Munich would find you and your loved one calling each other "spatzchen."
Little greens
Little deer
Little sparrow
If you were to travel to Germany, you would hear the native lovers calling each other "spatzchen" which is the German translation for "little sparrow."
Little bear
Traveling to Madrid or Barcelona, your love one would think you're pretty sweet as their "media naranja."
Half a lemon
Half an orange
In Spain, couples are going around calling each other "media naranja." While its a term to mean your other half, it literally translates to half an orange!
Half a lime
Half an apple
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In Denmark, your loved ones might call you "min guldklump."
My little pear
My lump of coal
My shiny star
My gold nugget
The natives of Denmark are calling their boyfriends, girlfriends, or spouses, "min guldklump" in Danish, which translates to "my gold nugget."
If you're speaking Spanish, you might want to be called "terron de azucar."
Sweet Feet
Angel Eyes
Sugar Cube
In the Spanish language, you might be calling your loved one "terron de azucar." While it translates to sugar cube, it could be said to represent all the sweet-sounding terms.
Soft Hands
Translating perfectly from English to Spanish, you might hear the common term "ojos de Angel."
Angel lips
Angel hair
Angel eyes
While you'll hear "angel eyes" in English, you'll definitely hear it in Spanish too! The native speakers can be heard calling each other "ojos de Angel."
Angel breath
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"Moya solnishka" would be a good name for you in Russia.
My loving eyes
My sharp teeth
My little sun
A Russian relationship might find you with the term of endearment "moya solnishka," which translates to "my little sun."
My lovely jaw
If you fall in love with someone from Portugal, they might start calling you "ursolina."
Little frog
Little elf
Little blade
Little bear
Traveling to Portugal, you might find a boyfriend or girlfriend calling you "ursolina," which is the Portuguese word for "little bear."
Getting into a relationship with a Tibetan may cause you to be called "nyingdu-la."
Thorn in my side
Blinding eyes
Most honored poison of my heart
BBC News opened their magazine to readers around the world. A U.K. man revealed that his Tibetan wife calls him "nyingdu-la," which translates to "most honored poison of my heart."
Pain in my butt
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If you speak Gaelic, you're calling the love of your life "mo chuisle."
My pulse
"Mo chuisle" is a popular term of endearment used by the Irish. It is actually shortened from "pulse of my heart" which would translate to "a chuisle mo chroi." If this term sounds familiar, you might've heard it in the film "Million Dollar Baby!"
My ears
My eyes
My nose
In areas of South America, your boyfriend might be calling you "gorda."
Beautiful smile
Fat girl
In parts of South America, you'll definitely find the Spanish speakers referring to their loved ones as "gorda" or "gordo" which translate to "fat girl" and "fat boy," respectively.
Smelly Feet
Long arms
A trip to Thailand will have you calling your boyfriend or girlfriend "kon-dee."
Good person
If you were to travel to Thailand, you would hear the Thai word "kon-dee," which translates to "good person."
Evil villain
Mountain
Shoulder blade
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If your Spanish boyfriend said "albondiga," he's either referring to you or a snack.
Sweet Pea
Meatball
A couple in Spain might not be calling their loved one "bicho" like in Argentina, but they're probably calling each other "albondiga" or meatball.
Liverwurst
Pasta
Vacationing in Buenos Aires, you might hear someone call their partner "cielo."
Sea
Ceiling
Queen
Sky
Another popular term of endearment in Argentina you'd probably find couples calling each other "cielo," the Spanish word for sky.
If you travel to the U.K., you'll find the Welsh saying "cariad."
Baby
Love
If you travel to Wales, you'd hear the native Welsh speakers calling their spouses "cariad." It is the literal translation for the word, "love."
Bean
Pie
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Couples in Berlin are probably calling each other "Schnuckiputzi."
Snicker doodle
Cutie pie
While it is not an official German term, Schnuckiputzi is a very popular term of endearment that most closely translates to "cutie pie!"
Jelly bean
Babe
If you're in Rome, your loved one might be sweet, just like a "fragolina."
Little strawberry
In Italy, couples are calling each other the sweet name "fragolina" which is Italian for "little strawberry."
Little grape
Little bean
Little peach
Natives of Iran are probably telling their spouses "moosh bekhoradet."
Large umbrella
May a mouse eat you
In the Persian language, you would find Iranian telling their loved ones this wish "moosh bekhoradet," which translates to "may a mouse eat you!"
Turns of a page
May you prick your toe
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A trip to Japan might find you with a suitor calling you a "tamago gata no kao."
An egg with eyes
If you traveled to Japan, you might hear women being called a "tamago gata no kao" or "an egg with eyes." This term is used to call women beautiful because in Japanese culture, they favor egg-shaped faces.
A dog without a face
A watch with two hands
A car without a tire
In Paris, your boyfriend might call you "mon chou."
My shoe
My heart
My cabbage
A popular term of endearment in France is referring to your loved one as a cabbage! Although it varies, you'll often hear either "mon chou" or "mon petit chou" (my small cabbage).
My love
A trip to Budapest might find you calling a temporary suitor "bogarkam."
My salted tongue
My blue sky
My little bug
When comparing the terms of endearment in other countries, it is very popular to be referred to as a bug! The Hungarians are calling their loved ones "bogarkam" which could translate to "my little bug" or "my little beetle."
My long hair
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The Swedes are calling their loved ones "sotnos."
Lemon Pie
Sweetheart
This 'sweet' term is common in Sweden. While some might say this translates to "sweet nose," more would agree that it is the equivalent of "sweetheart" or "honey."
Dove
Pigeon
You're my "muru," I'd say in Finnish.
Mouth
Toe
Breadcrumb
Traveling to Finland, you should be calling your partner, "muru." An exceptionally cute name, it translates into "breadcrumb!"
Pinky
Living in Spain, you'd be loved and as green as "verdurita."
Little vegetable
It seems the natives of Western Europe like their vegetables! Another green related term of endearment, "verdurita," translates to "little vegetable" or just "vegetable," depending on which Spaniard you ask!
Little grass
Little money
Little leaf
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The French in Belgium have their own words, but the Flemish are saying "mijn bolleke."
My kneecap
My notebook
My little round thing
If you were to travel to the Flemish region of Belgium, one would hear their Dutch speakers calling each other "mijn bolleke" or "my little round thing."
My star
In Lisbon, your girlfriend might be "meu chuchuzinho."
My tongue
My love
My little squash
If you were to travel to Portugal, a common term of endearment for them is "meu chuchuzinho." While many debate the meaning of chuchuzinho, it is definitely agreed that it is a vegetable. While some might say it means "my little squash," others believe it to translate simply to pumpkin.
My cheetah
If you spoke Arabic, you'd probably call your lady-love, "ywn ghzal."
Shape of my heart
Apple of my eye
Eyes of a gazelle
If you were speaking Arabic in one of the many Arabic-speaking countries of the world, you'd probably call your loved one "ywn ghzal" which translates to "eyes of a gazelle."
Breath in my lungs
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Traveling through Milan and Rome, you might make a wish for someone to call you "microbino mio."
My little microbe
If you were to head to Italy, you'd find couples calling each other "microbino mio," or my little microbe!
My little penny
My little tooth
My little sock
Warsaw natives are calling their partners "brzydalu!"
Lovely one
Ugly one
Ouch! In Poland, a popular term of endearment is the word "brzydalu," which translates to the phrase, "ugly one!"
Pretty one
Smelly one
Another important body part the Greek are calling their loved ones is "matia mou."
My heart
My kidneys
My little eyes
While "angel eyes" is a popular term of endearment in the U.S., the Greeks are using "matia mou" or "matakia mou" for "my little eyes."
My lungs
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The French are going around calling their spouses "ma puce."
My shoulder
My pulse
My sole
My flea
Didn't we tell you it was a trend?! Western Europeans seem to like referring to their loved ones as insects. The French term "ma puce" translates to "my flea."
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