# 暧昧



## silverpixie

Is there any proper English word for "暧昧"?

Thanks in advance.


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## univerio

Dictionary translation: obliquity, obliqueness
My translation: ambiguity


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## Flaminius

Since 暧昧 has a few meanings, clarification as to which exactly you want to translate is welcome.  If, however, you want to know 暧昧 for having multiple meaning or the meaning being unclear, vague is the English adjective for it.


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## silverpixie

it is used when describe a couple of boy and girl whose relationship is beyond normal friends but do not have romantic relationship.


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## univerio

silverpixie said:


> it is used when describe a couple of boy and girl whose relationship is beyond normal friends but do not have romantic relationship.



Then, no, there isn't an exact translation. You can try "more than just friends" but that sounds cliché...


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## Flaminius

The closest I can get is "immodest" or "indecent."  However, they might be too strong expressions to convey the subtle nuance of 暧昧.


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## xiaolijie

I think the word should be "_dubious_" as in "_dubious relationship_" (暧昧关系)


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## linjunlin

You can also say "shady relation/relationship" for “暧昧关系”


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## samanthalee

I can't think of a satisfactory translation for 暧昧.

暧昧 is a neutral word in Mandarin. It can refer to both scandals and "non-scandals".
Dubious relationship or shady relationship are possible translations to describe scandals.
"More than just friends" seems to be the closest we can get to 暧昧. "Not quite an item" can mean 暧昧 too.

I guess we can't translate 暧昧 by itself; it must be translated within context.


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## jinliuqi

What about *intimate* for "暧昧"???


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## Blootix

I don't think there is an exact translation.  "Intimate" just means you're very close; it does not necessarily denote a romantic relationship as 暧昧 does.  Maybe there is a strange Latin-root, convoluted word out there somewhere, but it's probably not used in normal conversation.


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## e.ma

Blootix: look what the WR dictionary says on "intimate" (#6):

_involved in a sexual relationship; "the intimate (or sexual) relations between husband and wife"; "she had been intimate with many men" _


What confuses me is that silverpixie (#4) describes the *暧昧* relationship as "non romantic", and you are dismissing "intimate" for not being romantic enough...


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## jackegg

it seems you guys don't have right answers.
unfaintfulness is more close to..*暧昧* ..it doesn't mean to be romantic..right..i think it depend on what you want to say in the context.


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## e.ma

Hello and welcome, jackegg!: do you mean "unfai*th*fulness"?


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## jackegg

sorry..my bad


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## nichec

univerio said:


> Dictionary translation: obliquity, obliqueness
> My translation: ambiguity


 
Ambiguous is definitely the word I would use.

There's nothing unfaithful or indecent about it, at least not to my knowledge.


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## e.ma

jackegg said:


> sorry..my bad



Please don't be sorry. We are all learning here (and often from nichec)


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## Mugi

Although "ambiguous", "vague" or "obscure" are probably the best terms to translate 曖昧 in most situations, unfortunately none of these works to describe a relationship between two people of the opposite sex and retain the meaning of the Chinese.
As others have suggested, there is no single word that matches 曖昧 in this situation - you have to paraphrase: they're kind of going out, kind of not; they've got a very low key relationship going on; they're in a casual relationship; they're more than just friends, but not a couple per se; they're sex friends; etc, etc.


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## e.ma

Then, couldn't 曖昧 translate into "lukewarm"?


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## lmyyyks

e.ma said:


> Then, couldn't 曖昧 translate into "lukewarm"?


No, it's a completely different thing, at least to my knowledge.
you could write　冷淡　ｉｎｓｔｅａｄ


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## e.ma

Thank you, lmyyyks.


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## baumenthai

when i say, your relation with her is "暧昧"，i mean you two have a secret relationship, like lovers.


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## snowyau

What about "platonic"?


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## baumenthai

completely different.


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## nichec

baumenthai said:


> when i say, your relation with her is "暧昧"，i mean you two have a secret relationship, like lovers.


 
But the point is, you may or may not have a relationship with her, no? (I thought that's what makes it 暧昧)


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## nichec

snowyau said:


> What about "platonic"?


 
Platonic love is something purely spiritual, ideal, and non-sexual.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonic_love

And 暧昧 is, well, I guess we are still trying to find out what it is in this thread


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## nichec

e.ma said:


> Then, couldn't 曖昧 translate into "lukewarm"?


 
A "lukewarm relationship" can be boring and dull.

But a 暧昧關係 can get really quite exciting


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## e.ma

Thank you, baumenthai, snowyau and dear nichec.


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## nichec

e.ma said:


> Please don't be sorry. We are all learning here (and often from nichec)


 
Wow, that's quite a compliment, thank you so much 

I just read this sentence online about a minute ago, and I thought about this thread right away...............

.................As the show progressed, both agents were caught up in a larger conflict, termed "the mythology" or "mytharc" by the show's creators, and developed a close and* ambiguous* friendship which many saw as romantic rather than platonic................................

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_X-Files (yeah right, you know my secrets now, I am a "The X-Files" fan )


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