Relationship levels by country
Informal ladders locals actually use — not official scales. Order is approximate; people skip and overlap.
Semantic mapping across countries. Rows are broad relationship stages; cells show the closest local term or grouped terms, not matching numeric levels.
| # | Stage | USA | China | Germany | Japan | UK | India | France | Italy | Russia | Brazil | Canada | Argentina | Netherlands | Philippines | Czechia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | None / single | Nothing / single | 没什么 / 单身 | Nichts / Single | 何もない / 独身 | Nothing / single | Nothing / single | Rien / célibataire | Niente / single | Ничего / ничего нет | Nada / solteiro·a | Nothing / single | No hay nada / no pasa nada | Niets / vrijgezel | Wala / single | Nic / nic mezi námi |
| 2 | Crush / attraction | Chemistry / a vibe | 有感觉 / 来电 | Chemie / Interesse | 気がある / 脈あり | Fancy someone | Crush / chemistry | Attirance / crush | C'è feeling / attrazione | Есть химия / есть искра | Tem química / crush | Chemistry / a vibe | Hay onda | Een klik / chemie | Crush / kilig | Je tam jiskra / máme chemii |
| 3 | Flirting | Flirting | 撩 / 搭讪 | Anbaggern / flirten | アプローチ / 好意を示す | Chat up / on the pull / grafting | Flirting / proposing casually | Draguer / flirter | Provarci / flirtare | Клеится / подкатывает | Paquerar / dar em cima | Flirting | Tirar onda / me tira onda | Flirten | Landi / nagpaparamdam | Balí mě / balím ho·ji |
| 4 | Talking / texting | Talking | 聊天 / 互相关注 | Schreiben / chatten | 連絡を取り合う / LINEする | Talking stage | Talking stage | On se parle / on s'écrit | Ci sentiamo / ci scriviamo | Переписываемся | Ficar se falando / trocando ideia | Talking stage | — | Daten / appen | Talking stage / ka-talking stage | Píšeme si |
| 5 | Soft courtship | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Tuksuhan / Ligaw-biruan / Panliligaw | — |
| 6 | Getting to know | Hanging out / getting to know each other | 见面 / 约会 | Kennenlernen | デートする | Getting to know each other | Hanging out / getting to know each other | On se voit / on se fréquente | Ci conosciamo / usciamo | Знакомимся | Se conhecendo | Hanging out / getting to know each other | Nos estamos conociendo | — | — | Poznáváme se / seznamujeme se |
| 7 | Kissing / making out | — | — | Knutschen | キスした | Snog | — | Embrasser / se rouler des pelles | Ci siamo baciati | Поцеловались | Beijar / ficar | — | Chapamos / nos chapamos | — | MOMOL | Políbili jsme se |
| 8 | One-time hookup | Hookup / one-night stand | 约炮 / 一夜情 | One-Night-Stand | — | Shag / one-night stand / a pull | Hookup / one-night stand | Coup d'un soir / histoire d'un soir | Scopata occasionale / una notte | Секс без обязательств / разовый секс | — | Hookup / one-night stand | Garche de una noche | One-night stand / ONS | Hookup / one-night stand | Jednorázovka |
| 9 | Friends with benefits | Friends with benefits | 炮友 | Freundschaft Plus / F+ | セフレ | Friends with benefits | Friends with benefits | Plan cul / sexfriend | Amici con benefici / amici di letto | Друзья с привилегиями | Amigos com benefícios / amizade colorida | Friends with benefits | Garche fijo / Chongo / Amigos con derechos | Friends with benefits / FWB | FUBU | Kamarádi s benefity / přátelství s výhodami |
| 10 | Casual, non-exclusive | Seeing each other / casually dating | — | Daten / treffen uns | — | Seeing someone / Going out with | Seeing each other / casually dating | Aventure / flirt suivi | Ci frequentiamo | Видимся / Ходим на свидания | Ficante / Saindo / se vendo | Seeing each other / casually dating | Nos estamos viendo / Estamos saliendo | Scharrel | Dating / lumalabas | Scházíme se / vídáme se / Randíme |
| 11 | Undefined but ongoing | Situationship | 暧昧 / Situationship / 说不清的关系 | Situationship | 友達以上恋人未満 | Situationship | Situationship | Situationship | Situationship | Недоотношения / ситуэйшеншип / всё сложно | Quase algo / situationship | Situationship | Estamos en algo / casi algo | Twarrel / Situationship / situ | Situationship / walang label | Skorovztah / situationship |
| 12 | Almost a relationship | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Kwarrel / Eventuela / Prela | Syota / shota / MU | — |
| 13 | Exclusive / relationship talk | Exclusive | 确定关系 / 在一起了 | Exklusiv / nichts Festes… aber nur wir | 告白 | Exclusive | Exclusive / committed (no label yet) | Exclusifs / on est exclusifs | Esclusivi | — | Exclusivos | Exclusive / "what are we" | Exclusivos / somos exclusivos | Exclusief daten | DTR / may label | — |
| 14 | Committed relationship | Partner / in a relationship | 对象 / 另一半 | Fest zusammen / in einer Beziehung | 付き合う / 交際する / 彼氏・彼女 | Partner | Partner / in a relationship | En couple / petit ami·e / copain·copine | Partner / siamo una coppia | Встречаемся / Мы пара / парень и девушка | Parceiro·a / relacionamento sério | Partner / in a relationship | Novios / Pareja | Vriend(in) / partner | Partner / karelasyon | Jsme spolu / jsme pár |
| 15 | Said I love you | Said I love you | 说了“我爱你” | Liebe gestanden | 大好きって言った | Said I love you | Said "I love you" | On s’est dit « je t’aime » | Detto «ti amo» | Признались в любви | Dissemos «te amo» | Said I love you | Nos dijimos «te amo» | Liefde verklaard | Nag-“I love you” | Vyznali si lásku |
| 16 | Living apart | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | LAT-relatie | — | — |
| 17 | Living together | Living together | 同居 | Zusammenwohnen / zusammenziehen | 同棲 | Living together / cohabiting | Living together | Concubinage / on habite ensemble | Conviviamo | Живём вместе / гражданский брак | Morando juntos | Living together | Conviviendo / juntados | Samenwonen / samenlevingscontract | Live-in / common-law partner | Bydlíme spolu |
| 18 | Engaged | Engaged | 订婚 | Verlobt | 婚約 / プロポーズ | Engaged | Engaged | Fiancés | Fidanzamento ufficiale / promessi | Помолвлены | Noivos / noivado | Engaged | Comprometidos / prometidos | Verloofd | Engaged / pamamanhikan | Zasnoubení / jsme zasnoubení |
| 19 | Legal partnership | — | — | — | — | Civil partnership | — | Pacsés | — | — | União estável | Common-law partners | Unión convivencial | Geregistreerd partnerschap | — | — |
| 20 | Co-parent | Baby mama / baby daddy | 孩子他妈 / 孩子他爸 | Kindsmutter / Kindsvater | 子供の母親 / 子供の父親 | Baby mama / baby daddy | Child’s mother / child’s father | Mère / père de mon enfant | Madre / padre di mio figlio | Мать / отец моего ребёнка | Mãe / pai do meu filho | Baby mama / baby daddy | Madre / padre de mi hijo | Moeder / vader van mijn kind | Nanay / tatay ng anak ko | Matka / otec mého dítěte |
| 21 | Married | Married | 结婚 | Verheiratet | 結婚 | Married | Married | Mariés | Sposati | Женаты / замужем | Casados | Married | Casados | Getrouwd | Kasal / mag-asawa | Manželství / jsme manželé |
| 22 | Married + kids | Married with kids | 已婚有孩子 | Verheiratet mit Kindern | 結婚して子供がいる | Married with kids | Married with kids | Mariés avec des enfants | Sposati con figli | Женаты / замужем, есть дети | Casados com filhos | Married with kids | Casados con hijos | Getrouwd met kinderen | Kasal na may mga anak | Jsme manželé a máme děti |
U.S. Gen Z / millennial dating vocabulary from r/dating and r/AskWomen. Hookup and dating tracks often skip levels.
-
Nothing / single
No romantic or sexual connection.
-
Chemistry / a vibe
Mutual attraction or interest, nothing acted on yet.
-
Flirting
Showing interest; banter, compliments, light pursuit.
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Talking
Regular texting / chatting with romantic intent; usually not exclusive.
-
Hanging out / getting to know each other
Spending time together without a defined label.
-
Hookup / one-night stand
Casual sex, often one-off or low-commitment.
-
Friends with benefits
Friendship plus recurring sex; usually no romantic label.
-
Seeing each other / casually dating
Going on dates; may still see other people.
-
Situationship
Ongoing romantic/sexual gray zone without clear commitment.
-
Exclusive
Agreed not to date others; may still avoid boyfriend/girlfriend labels.
-
Boyfriend / girlfriend / official
Defined romantic relationship with the label.
-
Partner / in a relationship
Serious couple language; often more adult than bf/gf.
-
Said I love you
First mutual "I love you" — a classic U.S. relationship milestone after things are official.
-
Living together
Cohabiting as a couple.
-
Engaged
Formally planning marriage.
-
Baby mama / baby daddy
U.S. slang for the mother or father of someone’s child when the parents are unmarried or no longer together; common in informal English.
-
Married
Legally married.
-
Married with kids
Married and raising children.
Mainland Mandarin from 知乎, 36氪, and 腾讯. Classic path is 暧昧 → 确定关系 / 男女朋友; younger speakers also borrow situationship.
-
没什么 / 单身
Nothing going on / single.
-
有感觉 / 来电
There's chemistry / attraction.
-
撩 / 搭讪
Flirting / chatting someone up.
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聊天 / 互相关注
Texting / following each other; early contact stage.
-
暧昧
Ambiguous romantic gray zone — more than friends, not yet official. Core Chinese dating term.
-
约炮 / 一夜情
Hookup / one-night stand. Casual sex without a relationship frame.
-
炮友
Friends with benefits / regular sex partner. Widely used on 知乎 and Chinese media.
-
见面 / 约会
Meeting up / going on dates.
-
Situationship / 说不清的关系
Undefined ongoing intimacy. English loan used in Chinese youth media (also translated as 情境关系), often "炮友以上、恋人未满".
-
确定关系 / 在一起了
Made it official — the explicit "what are we" step into a relationship.
-
男女朋友 / 谈恋爱 / 搞对象
Boyfriend/girlfriend; dating. 搞对象 is colloquial mainland speech for being in a relationship.
-
对象 / 另一半
My partner / significant other; everyday couple language.
-
说了“我爱你”
Said "I love you" (wǒ ài nǐ). It is a direct, serious declaration; 520 is its common texting shorthand, not a separate relationship stage.
-
同居
Living together.
-
订婚
Engaged.
-
孩子他妈 / 孩子他爸
“The child’s mum/dad”—the concise colloquial Mandarin counterpart. It identifies the other parent and can also refer to a current spouse.
-
结婚
Married.
-
已婚有孩子
Married with kids.
Everyday German from r/de, gutefrage, DAK/AOK, and Parship. Freundschaft Plus (F+) is the local FWB label; Situationship is common among younger Germans.
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Nichts / Single
Nothing going on / single.
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Chemie / Interesse
There's chemistry / interest.
-
Anbaggern / flirten
Hitting on someone / flirting. Anbaggern is colloquial German.
-
Schreiben / chatten
Texting / chatting; early talking stage.
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Kennenlernen
Getting to know each other — the standard German early-dating frame.
-
Knutschen
Making out / snogging.
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One-Night-Stand
One-night stand. Common German usage of the English term.
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Freundschaft Plus / F+
Friends with benefits. The usual German label (also Freunde mit gewissen Vorzügen).
-
Daten / treffen uns
Dating / meeting up; may still be non-exclusive.
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Situationship
Undefined gray zone between F+ and a feste Beziehung. Covered in German health/lifestyle media and r/de.
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Exklusiv / nichts Festes… aber nur wir
Exclusive without calling it a feste Beziehung yet.
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Fest zusammen / in einer Beziehung
Official couple / in a relationship. The classic German label.
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Liebe gestanden
Confessed love—the short German expression for having said how you feel; the direct words are “Ich liebe dich”.
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Freund / Freundin / Partner·in
Boyfriend/girlfriend / partner.
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Zusammenwohnen / zusammenziehen
Living together / moving in together.
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Verlobt
Engaged.
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Kindsmutter / Kindsvater
Child’s mother/father—the concise German co-parent terms, common in family-law and separated-parent contexts rather than slang.
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Verheiratet
Married.
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Verheiratet mit Kindern
Married with kids.
Everyday Japanese from Yahoo知恵袋, Zexy, Oggi, and 発言小町. Official dating usually starts with 告白 → 付き合う; 友達以上恋人未満 is the gray zone.
-
何もない / 独身
Nothing going on / single.
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気がある / 脈あり
There's interest / a chance — mutual or one-sided attraction signals.
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アプローチ / 好意を示す
Making a move / showing romantic interest; not necessarily street pickup.
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連絡を取り合う / LINEする
Texting / staying in touch (often via LINE).
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デートする
Going on dates — may still be before official 付き合う.
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キスした
We kissed / made out.
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セフレ
Sex friend / FWB. Standard Japanese slang; distinct from being 恋人.
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友達以上恋人未満
More than friends, less than lovers — the classic Japanese situationship phrase.
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告白
Confession / asking to date. The cultural step that usually makes it official.
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付き合う / 交際する / 彼氏・彼女
Officially dating / boyfriend·girlfriend. These are the same practical relationship stage.
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大好きって言った
Said daisuki—the expression couples commonly use for "I love you." 愛してる is much rarer and weightier, so it is not treated as the everyday equivalent.
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パートナー
Partner; more adult / formal than 彼氏・彼女.
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同棲
Living together. Often discussed as marriage-adjacent in Japanese media.
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婚約 / プロポーズ
Engaged / proposed.
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子供の母親 / 子供の父親
The child’s mother/father—the normal Japanese descriptive equivalent; Japanese has no comparably established slang label.
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結婚
Married.
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結婚して子供がいる
Married with kids.
British English from Metro, AskUK, YouGov, and Citizens Advice. Dropped tourist-gloss cracking on; kept Love Island grafting as UK-local TV slang.
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Nothing / single
No romantic or sexual connection.
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Fancy someone
Find someone attractive / interested. Characteristically British (AskUK).
-
Chat up / on the pull / grafting
Flirting or looking to pull. "Grafting" is UK dating-show slang (Love Island) that entered everyday speech.
-
Talking stage
Regular texting / chatting with romantic intent. Used in UK press (Metro).
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Getting to know each other
Spending time together without a defined label.
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Snog
Passionate kissing / make-out. Classic British slang; still recognised.
-
Shag / one-night stand / a pull
Casual sex. "Shag" and "pull" are strongly British (Metro, AskUK).
-
Friends with benefits
Friendship plus recurring sex.
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Seeing someone
Early / soft dating label Brits often use before calling it official (AskUK).
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Going out with
Dating as a couple; more established than "seeing someone".
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Situationship
Ongoing romantic/sexual gray zone without clear commitment.
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Exclusive
Agreed not to see others; may still avoid boyfriend/girlfriend labels.
-
Boyfriend / girlfriend
Defined romantic relationship with the label.
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Partner
Serious couple language. YouGov: preferred over bf/gf from roughly mid-30s onward in Britain.
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Said I love you
First mutual "I love you" — a recognised British relationship milestone once you are properly together.
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Living together / cohabiting
Sharing a home. No automatic "common law marriage" rights in England and Wales.
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Engaged
Formally planning marriage (or sometimes a civil partnership).
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Civil partnership
Legally registered partnership with similar rights to marriage.
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Baby mama / baby daddy
Unmarried or former co-parent; borrowed U.S./Caribbean slang that is understood in Britain but remains informal.
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Married
Legally married.
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Married with kids
Married (or civil partners) and raising children.
Urban Indian English from Indian Express, Times Now, and r/IndianTeenagers. Talking stage and situationship are common; arranged-marriage paths are excluded.
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Nothing / single
No romantic or sexual connection.
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Crush / chemistry
Attraction or interest, nothing acted on yet.
-
Flirting / proposing casually
Showing interest. "Propose" in Indian teen slang often means asking someone out, not marriage.
-
Talking stage
Regular texting / chatting with romantic intent; heavily used in Indian Gen Z dating talk.
-
Hanging out / getting to know each other
Spending time together without a defined label.
-
Hookup / one-night stand
Casual sex, often one-off or low-commitment.
-
Friends with benefits
Friendship plus recurring sex; usually no romantic label.
-
Seeing each other / casually dating
Going on dates; may still see other people.
-
Situationship
More than a hookup, less than a relationship. Covered extensively in Indian Express / Times Now for Indian readers.
-
Exclusive / committed (no label yet)
Agreed not to see others; may still avoid boyfriend/girlfriend labels.
-
Boyfriend / girlfriend / official
Defined romantic relationship with the label.
-
Partner / in a relationship
Serious couple language; often more adult than bf/gf.
-
Said "I love you"
The first serious "I love you" in an established relationship. The English phrase is standard in urban Indian dating, alongside declarations in local languages.
-
Living together
Cohabiting as a couple (still socially uneven across India).
-
Engaged
Formally planning marriage (love or arranged track).
-
Child’s mother / child’s father
The ordinary Indian English description of an unmarried or former co-parent; “baby mama/daddy” is understood but is not a native Indian label.
-
Married
Married.
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Married with kids
Married and raising children.
Everyday French from Ouest-France, BFMTV, Cosmopolitan.fr, France Inter, and INED. Plan cul / sexfriend are local staples; situationship is newer.
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Rien / célibataire
Nothing going on / single.
-
Attirance / crush
Attraction / crush.
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Draguer / flirter
Flirting / hitting on someone.
-
On se parle / on s'écrit
We're talking / texting; early stage.
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On se voit / on se fréquente
We're seeing each other / hanging out without a couple label.
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Embrasser / se rouler des pelles
Kissing / making out.
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Coup d'un soir / histoire d'un soir
One-night stand. Documented in INED Envie survey language.
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Plan cul / sexfriend
Casual recurring sex / friends with benefits. Core French youth vocabulary (INED).
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Aventure / flirt suivi
Ongoing fling — more than one night, less than a couple.
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Situationship
Undefined gray zone. Used in French press (20 Minutes, Elle, France Inter).
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Exclusifs / on est exclusifs
Exclusive, but not necessarily calling it couple yet.
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En couple / petit ami·e / copain·copine
Official couple. Petit ami/copain are everyday labels.
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On s’est dit « je t’aime »
We said “I love you” to each other—the concise, idiomatic French way to describe this shared milestone.
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Concubinage / on habite ensemble
Living together without marriage.
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Fiancés
Engaged.
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Pacsés
Civil partnership under the French PACS system.
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Mère / père de mon enfant
Mother/father of my child—the normal concise French co-parent expression; there is no equally established native slang term.
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Mariés
Married.
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Mariés avec des enfants
Married with kids.
Everyday Italian from Vanity Fair IT, Fanpage, Cosmopolitan IT, and State of Mind. Frequentarsi and fidanzato are classic; amici di letto covers FWB.
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Niente / single
Nothing going on / single.
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C'è feeling / attrazione
There's chemistry / attraction.
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Provarci / flirtare
Making a move / flirting.
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Ci sentiamo / ci scriviamo
We're texting / staying in touch.
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Ci conosciamo / usciamo
Getting to know each other / going out casually.
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Ci siamo baciati
We kissed / made out.
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Scopata occasionale / una notte
One-night stand / casual hookup.
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Amici con benefici / amici di letto
Friends with benefits. Standard Italian calques.
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Ci frequentiamo
We're seeing each other / dating without full commitment. Classic Italian soft label.
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Situationship
Undefined gray zone. Covered in Italian lifestyle press (Vanity Fair, Fanpage, Elle).
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Esclusivi
Exclusive, but may still avoid fidanzato labels.
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Fidanzato·a / stiamo insieme
Official boyfriend/girlfriend / we're together.
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Partner / siamo una coppia
Partner / we're a couple; more adult phrasing.
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Detto «ti amo»
Said “I love you.” Ti amo is specifically romantic; ti voglio bene is broader affection.
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Conviviamo
We live together.
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Fidanzamento ufficiale / promessi
Engaged (more formal than everyday fidanzato).
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Madre / padre di mio figlio
Mother/father of my child—the usual Italian description for the other parent outside a current marriage or relationship.
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Sposati
Married.
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Sposati con figli
Married with kids.
Everyday Russian from Лайфхакер, Psychologies.ru, and Пикабу. Встречаемся is the classic couple label; всё сложно covers the gray zone.
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Ничего / ничего нет
Nothing going on.
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Есть химия / есть искра
There's chemistry / a spark.
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Клеится / подкатывает
Flirting / making a move on someone.
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Переписываемся
We're texting; early talking stage.
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Знакомимся
Getting to know each other.
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Поцеловались
We kissed / made out.
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Секс без обязательств / разовый секс
Casual / one-off sex; no relationship frame.
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Друзья с привилегиями
Friends with benefits. Common Russian calque; Пикабу / Лайфхакер / Psychologies.
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Видимся
We're seeing each other casually.
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Ходим на свидания
We're going on dates.
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Недоотношения / ситуэйшеншип / всё сложно
Situationship. Лайфхакер equates unclear status with VK's "Всё сложно"; недоотношения / передружба are Russian coinages.
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Встречаемся
We're dating / officially a couple; the default Russian label (Пикабу etc.).
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Мы пара / парень и девушка
We're a couple; boyfriend/girlfriend.
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Признались в любви
Confessed our love—the standard concise Russian expression for this milestone; the direct words are «Я тебя люблю».
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Партнёр / партнёрша
My partner; more adult than парень/девушка.
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Живём вместе / гражданский брак
Cohabiting. Colloquial "гражданский брак" = living together without ЗАГС (Пикабу debates this constantly).
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Помолвлены
Engaged.
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Мать / отец моего ребёнка
Mother/father of my child—the standard Russian description for a former or unmarried co-parent.
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Женаты / замужем
Married (registered at ЗАГС).
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Женаты / замужем, есть дети
Married with kids.
Brazilian Portuguese from UOL, Superinteressante, and CNN Brasil. Ficar / ficante is the distinctive casual stage; namoro is official dating.
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Nada / solteiro·a
Nothing going on / single.
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Tem química / crush
There's chemistry / a crush.
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Paquerar / dar em cima
Flirting / hitting on someone.
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Ficar se falando / trocando ideia
Texting / chatting with romantic intent.
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Se conhecendo
Getting to know each other.
-
Beijar / ficar
Kissing / making out. Ficar also names the broader casual stage.
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Ficante
Casual non-committed partner — someone you're ficando with; may involve kissing, dates, or sex, but not official namoro.
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Amigos com benefícios / amizade colorida
Friends with benefits. Amizade colorida is a common Brazilian phrasing.
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Saindo / se vendo
Seeing each other / going out; still soft on labels.
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Quase algo / situationship
Almost-relationship / undefined gray zone. Quase algo is widely used in Brazilian speech.
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Exclusivos
Exclusive, but not necessarily namorando yet.
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Namorando / namoro / namorado·a
Official boyfriend/girlfriend. The classic Brazilian commitment label.
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Parceiro·a / relacionamento sério
Partner / serious relationship; more adult than namorado.
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Dissemos «te amo»
We said “I love you”—a natural, compact Brazilian Portuguese description of the milestone.
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Morando juntos
Living together as a couple.
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Noivos / noivado
Engaged.
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União estável
Brazil's legal cohabitation status.
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Mãe / pai do meu filho
Mother/father of my child—the usual Brazilian Portuguese expression for the other parent, especially after separation.
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Casados
Married.
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Casados com filhos
Married with kids.
Canadian English from CBC, The Conversation Canada, and r/AskACanadian. Mostly tracks US/UK Gen Z terms; common-law cohabitation is the local wrinkle.
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Nothing / single
No romantic or sexual connection.
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Chemistry / a vibe
Mutual attraction or interest, nothing acted on yet.
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Flirting
Showing interest; banter, compliments, light pursuit.
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Talking stage
Regular texting / chatting with romantic intent. Discussed on r/AskACanadian and Canadian media.
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Hanging out / getting to know each other
Spending time together without a defined label.
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Hookup / one-night stand
Casual sex, often one-off or low-commitment.
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Friends with benefits
Friendship plus recurring sex; usually no romantic label.
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Seeing each other / casually dating
Going on dates; may still see other people.
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Situationship
Ongoing romantic/sexual gray zone without clear commitment. Covered by CBC.
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Exclusive / "what are we"
Agreed not to date others; the DTR conversation Canadians often name explicitly.
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Boyfriend / girlfriend / official
Defined romantic relationship with the label.
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Partner / in a relationship
Serious couple language; common in Canadian speech.
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Said I love you
First mutual "I love you" — a common North American relationship milestone.
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Living together
Cohabiting as a couple.
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Engaged
Formally planning marriage.
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Common-law partners
Cohabiting partners with legal recognition after a period of living together.
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Baby mama / baby daddy
Unmarried or former co-parent in North American slang; informal and potentially pejorative.
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Married
Legally married.
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Married with kids
Married and raising children.
Current Rioplatense usage checked against 2025–2026 Argentine media, social posts, and local forums; aging or weakly local labels omitted.
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No hay nada / no pasa nada
Nothing going on.
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Hay onda
There's chemistry / a vibe. Used casually by Argentines.
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Tirar onda / me tira onda
Flirting; showing interest. Common in BA speech (e.g. local Reddit).
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Nos estamos conociendo
We're getting to know each other.
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Chapamos / nos chapamos
We made out (kissed with tongue). Local Argentine slang.
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Garche de una noche
One-night hookup. Current, direct Argentine phrasing; the older touch and go remains understood but is increasingly generational.
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Garche fijo
Regular sexual hookup without a relationship label; current and crude.
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Chongo
Casual sex/dating partner without formal commitment. The feminine is chonga; the verb is chonguear.
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Amigos con derechos
Friends with benefits; more friendship history than a chongo.
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Nos estamos viendo
We're seeing each other; still soft on labels.
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Estamos saliendo
We're dating toward possible noviazgo; current and more securely Argentine than saliente.
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Estamos en algo / casi algo
Situationship / almost-relationship. Argentine media and everyday speech.
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Exclusivos / somos exclusivos
Exclusive without calling each other novios. Newer phrasing; shows up in Argentine social media.
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Novios
Official boyfriend/girlfriend; individually, novio or novia.
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Pareja
My partner / we're a couple; more adult than novio.
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Nos dijimos «te amo»
We said “I love you” to each other. Te amo is stronger than the broader, everyday te quiero.
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Conviviendo / juntados
Living together as a couple (everyday colloquial).
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Comprometidos / prometidos
Engaged.
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Unión convivencial
Legal civil cohabitation registration (Código Civil) — formal/legal, not casual slang.
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Madre / padre de mi hijo
Mother/father of my child—the usual Argentine Spanish description for the other parent, often an ex-partner.
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Casados
Married.
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Casados con hijos
Married with children (also a famous Argentine sitcom title).
Dutch youth/student slang from StudentenWoordenboek, Youngworks, DUB, and INT. Many labels are playful student terms, not universal adult Dutch.
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Niets / vrijgezel
Nothing going on / single.
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Een klik / chemie
A click / chemistry. Generic Dutch phrasing before anything is defined.
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Flirten
Flirting / showing interest.
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Daten / appen
Dating or messaging, before a clear status.
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One-night stand / ONS
One-off sex. Dutch dating glossaries use the English term and abbreviation.
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Friends with benefits / FWB
Friends who also have sex, without a love relationship label.
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Scharrel
Someone you regularly date or meet, but not a serious/exclusive relationship.
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Twarrel
Twijfelscharrel: a doubtful scharrel where it is unclear which way things are going; dwarrel is a less common variant.
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Kwarrel
Kwaliteitsscharrel: a higher-quality scharrel with more feeling and potential.
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Situationship / situ
Undefined romantic/sexual situation without a fixed relationship label.
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Eventuela
Potential/eventual relationship; potentiëla is a related variant, and it could grow into a prela or rela.
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Exclusief daten
Dating only each other, usually before calling it a relationship.
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Prela
Pre-relatie: serious dating just before it becomes an official relationship.
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Rela / relatie / verkering
Official relationship. Rela is the student/youth abbreviation; verkering is the older classic word.
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Vriend(in) / partner
Boyfriend/girlfriend or partner; established couple language.
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Liefde verklaard
Declared love—the concise Dutch expression for having voiced it; the direct words are “Ik hou van je”.
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LAT-relatie
Living apart together: a committed relationship while keeping separate homes.
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Samenwonen / samenlevingscontract
Living together; a cohabitation contract can formalize shared arrangements.
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Verloofd
Engaged.
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Geregistreerd partnerschap
Registered partnership; Dutch legal status close to marriage.
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Moeder / vader van mijn kind
Mother/father of my child—the normal Dutch co-parent expression, often preferred to simply calling the person an ex.
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Getrouwd
Married.
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Getrouwd met kinderen
Married with kids.
Filipino/Taglish from Inquirer, One Down, MentalHealthPH, and live-in coverage. Courtship terms coexist with MU, syota, MOMOL, FUBU, DTR, and jowa.
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Wala / single
Nothing going on / single.
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Crush / kilig
Attraction or romantic excitement. Kilig is the fluttery feeling around a crush or romantic moment.
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Landi / nagpaparamdam
Flirting, making romantic moves, or trying to be noticed.
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Talking stage / ka-talking stage
Regular chatting or messaging with romantic potential, before a defined label.
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Tuksuhan
Teasing or pairing off a possible couple; a classic early signal in Filipino courtship descriptions.
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Ligaw-biruan
Very soft courtship through joking and flirting, often preceded by the quieter ligaw-tingin stage.
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Panliligaw
Courtship. The suitor is the manliligaw; the person being courted is the nililigawan.
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Dating / lumalabas
Going out or seeing each other, without necessarily having an official relationship label.
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MOMOL
Make out, make out lang: making out without attachment.
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Hookup / one-night stand
One-off casual sex.
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FUBU
Fuck buddy / friend with benefits; recurring casual sex without a committed relationship.
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Syota / shota
Short-time or informal romantic partner; often used before things are made official.
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MU
Mutual understanding: more than talking, not yet formal boyfriend/girlfriend. Also glossed in Bisaya as murag uyab, like a significant other.
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Situationship / walang label
An undefined romantic or sexual situation with no clear label.
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DTR / may label
Defining the relationship; moving from ambiguity to an agreed label.
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Jowa / boyfriend / girlfriend
Official significant other; jowa is the common gender-neutral slang substitute for boyfriend or girlfriend.
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Partner / karelasyon
Partner / person you are in a relationship with; more adult or neutral than jowa.
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Nag-“I love you”
Said “I love you”—a short, naturally used Taglish construction; “Mahal kita” is the Filipino declaration.
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Live-in / common-law partner
Living together as a couple before or without marriage.
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Engaged / pamamanhikan
Engaged or moving through the Filipino pre-wedding family visit where marriage intentions are formally discussed.
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Nanay / tatay ng anak ko
Mother/father of my child—the everyday Filipino equivalent, widely used for an unmarried or former co-parent.
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Kasal / mag-asawa
Married / spouses.
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Kasal na may mga anak
Married with kids.
Everyday Czech from iDNES, Mojepsychologie, and Emimino. Situationship appears in Czech outlets for locals, often glossed as skorovztah.
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Nic / nic mezi námi
Nothing going on.
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Je tam jiskra / máme chemii
There's chemistry / a spark. Used in Czech dating/TV speech.
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Balí mě / balím ho·ji
Flirting / actively pursuing. Dictionary-attested colloquial Czech.
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Píšeme si
We're texting; early talking stage.
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Poznáváme se / seznamujeme se
Getting to know each other.
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Políbili jsme se
We kissed / made out.
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Jednorázovka
One-night stand / one-off hookup. Used on Czech forums and podcasts.
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Kamarádi s benefity / přátelství s výhodami
Friends with benefits; common Czech calque, covered in Czech psychology/lifestyle media.
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Scházíme se / vídáme se
We're meeting up / seeing each other casually.
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Randíme
We're dating / going on dates.
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Skorovztah / situationship
Undefined ongoing thing. Czech sites often say skorovztah; situationship is the English loan used in Czech media.
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Chodíme spolu
We're officially a couple; the classic Czech label (iDNES etc.).
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Jsme spolu / jsme pár
We're together / we're a pair; solid couple status.
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Vyznali si lásku
Declared love to each other—the natural concise Czech expression for this mutual milestone.
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Partner / partnerka
My partner; more adult than přítel/přítelkyně.
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Bydlíme spolu
We live together.
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Zasnoubení / jsme zasnoubení
Engaged.
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Matka / otec mého dítěte
Mother/father of my child—the ordinary Czech descriptive equivalent; there is no established matching slang label.
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Manželství / jsme manželé
Married.
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Jsme manželé a máme děti
Married with kids.
Verified against local-facing sources only (local media, local forums). Dropped tourist/expat glosses and US calques without local evidence. Order is approximate.