Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

Chat attack

blind date

相亲

(xiānɡqīn)

A: Why have you gotten so prettied up? Are you going on a date?

你今天怎么打扮得这么漂亮？这是准备去约会吗？

(nǐ jīntiān zěnme dǎbàn de zhème piàoliànɡ? zhè shì zhǔnbèi qù yuēhuì ma?)

B: Pretty much. My family has set me up on a blind date.

差不多吧。家里人给我安排了一场相亲。

(chà bù duō ba. jiālǐ rén ɡěi wǒ ānpái le yīchǎnɡ xiānɡqīn.)

A: Really? You just graduated and now they are pushing for you to get married?

真的吗？你这才刚刚毕业,家里人就催着你结婚啊？

(zhēn de ma? nǐ zhè cái ɡānɡ ɡānɡ bìyè, jiālǐ rén jiù cuīzhe nǐ jiéhūn a?)

B: I really never got it. Why is it that dating when in school is considered too soon, while not getting married immediately after graduation is considered too late?

我一直都弄不明白, 为什么上学谈恋爱算早恋, 毕业不结婚算晚婚？

(wǒ yīzhí dōu nònɡ bù mínɡbái, wéi shěnme shànɡxué tán liàn ài suàn zǎoliàn, bìyè bù jiéhūn suàn wǎnhūn?)