# Foreign terms of endearment **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 18, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565 "2003-04-18T15:35:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/1 "2003-04-18T15:35:59Z")
For reasons of some fiction writing, I’m looking for the equivalent of the french ‘Mon Chou’ as a lover’s term of endearment in both Spanish and Arabic. In essence, terms that a flirtatious lover might call his object of desire. Anyone know any good, appropriate versions? And if you could give me what they ‘literally’ mean, as well, that’d be cool! (‘Mon Chou’ is short for ‘Mon petit chouchou’, which literally means ‘my brussel sprout’.) ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/2 "2003-04-18T15:45:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ArrrMatey \* > \*\*(‘Mon Chou’ is short for ‘Mon petit chouchou’, which literally means ‘my brussel sprout’.) \*\* -vague highjack- I’m a native speaker of French and I never made the association between “mon chou” and brussel sprouts. -end of vague highjack- ---
**Author:** ![xicanorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a88e57/32.png) [@xicanorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xicanorex)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/3 "2003-04-18T16:40:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ArrrMatey \* > **For reasons of some fiction writing, I’m looking for the equivalent of the french ‘Mon Chou’ as a lover’s term of endearment in both Spanish and Arabic. In essence, terms that a flirtatious lover might call his object of desire. Anyone know any good, appropriate versions? And if you could give me what they ‘literally’ mean, as well, that’d be cool!** There are wayyyyy too many. Maybe if you could give us a more specific setting, background of characters, etc. In Spanish or at least used in Mexico: Clean flirtatious: “Mi turrón de azúcar” (My nougat of sugar) “Mi mielecita” (My little honey) “Mi corazoncito” (My little heart) “Mi bello amanecer” (Mi Beautiful Dawning) Vulgar: “Mi torta” (My Mexican Sandwhich - “torta” slang for “a\*\*”) “Mi rajada de papaya” (My Slice of Papaya - “papaya” slang for vagina though the connation or usage of slang is more popular in Cuba. Etc., etc. XicanoreX ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/4 "2003-04-18T17:20:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jovan \* > -vague highjack- > I’m a native speaker of French and I never made the association between “mon chou” and brussel sprouts. > -end of vague highjack- Me neither … I’ve always heard it meant cabbage, or my little cabbage. Is that correct? ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/5 "2003-04-18T17:36:37Z")
It is indeed **cabbage** ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/6 "2003-04-18T17:56:02Z")
I’ve always heard that “torta” a slang equivalent to “dyke”, and it was derived from “tortarilla”, or tortilla press, which is two flat surfaces pressed together.:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/7 "2003-04-18T18:22:26Z")
I always heard cabbage, too. My little cabbage. Good thing the guy didn’t have a thing for Beets or Asparagus. I wouldn’t find that endearing at all! ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/8 "2003-04-18T18:24:29Z")
Okay, to clarrify- The hispanic term is for a Spanish ex-priest who has fallen in love with a woman. The term should -not- be anything vulgar. The arabic term is for a more, shall we say, passionate young man, who is finally having his love returned. Probably not vulgar, but if there’s a choice between something more or less ‘racy’, he might go with the racy choice, might not. I hope that’s enough info to go with. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/9 "2003-04-18T18:31:04Z")
“chou” indeed means cabbage, but Brussel sprouts are called “choux de Bruxelles” (litterally “Brussel cabbages”), hence the OP mistake, I suppose. And “chou” isn’t a shortening for “chouchou” ( rather the contrary “chouchou” probably comes from “chou”…and mainly, amongst other meanings, refers to the prefered one…for instance “le chouchou du professeur” would be the pupil the teacher supposedly likes the most) ---
**Author:** ![nonsmokingmirror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6a8cbe/32.png) [@nonsmokingmirror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonsmokingmirror)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/10 "2003-04-18T18:46:04Z")
By far the most common Arabic term of endearment is ‘ **ya habibi** ’ (pronounced yah haBEEbee), which literally means ‘O my beloved’. ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/11 "2003-04-18T18:46:29Z")
Okay, okay, it’s CABBAGE. I get it. Sheesh! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/12 "2003-04-18T19:20:56Z")
I’ve always thought Brussel sprouts look like tiny cabbages. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/13 "2003-04-18T19:21:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ArrrMatey \* > \*\*Okay, okay, it’s CABBAGE. I get it. Sheesh! 😃 \*\* It is OK, my little bundle of spinach. We still like you! ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/14 "2003-04-19T17:04:17Z")
In Swedish the most common (that I can tell) is “Älskling”, pronounced “elskling” from the very “att älska” which mean “to love”. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/15 "2003-04-19T17:05:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amanset \* > \*\*In Swedish the most common (that I can tell) is “Älskling”, pronounced “elskling” from the very “att älska” which mean “to love”. \*\* Sorry, misread the OP. I thought you wanted to know words from all sorts of languages. I have been drinking today. That is the only excuse I can offer. ---
**Author:** ![Daver914](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@Daver914](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daver914)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/16 "2003-04-19T21:44:02Z")
A few more common Spanish terms I have heard: Mi vida (my life) Querida mía (my dear, my darling) Corazoncita (little heart) Plus the classic, “mi amor” (my love) These are all very polite, and there are hundreds more. I can’t think of any off the top of my head, but after 20 minutes of _telenovelas_ I could probably come up with a dozen or so. ---
**Author:** ![StanDup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@StanDup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StanDup)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2003, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/17 "2003-04-19T22:57:47Z")
Mi dulce- My sweet ---
**Author:** ![mipiace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@mipiace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipiace)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/18 "2003-04-20T02:09:53Z")
Mi monequita ? Not sure of the spelling but it’s roughly baby doll. And I don’t know how to type the ~ over the n. ---
**Author:** ![Daver914](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@Daver914](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daver914)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/19 "2003-04-20T09:17:09Z")
Ah yes, _muñequita_. It means “little doll”. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565/20 "2003-04-20T09:31:09Z")
So what, exactly, does a Frenchman mean when he says _mon chou_? I’m assuming he doesn’t literally mean “my little Brussel Sprout” but maybe he does. Maybe **Jovan** or **clairobscur** can clear this up for me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-terms-of-endearment/169565.md?page=2)