Uploaded February 2018 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Ready for an English lesson on romantic relationships? There are many terms we use when talking about people in romantic relationships. Spouse, partner, significant other, husband, wife, better half, lover, girlfriend, boyfriend, couple, and common-law are just some examples of relationship terms we'll be talking about in this video. I will teach you why some people might prefer the term partner instead of husband or wife. We will also discuss what people call the family of their husband or wife. For example, what does the term in-law mean and how do we use it to describe our partner's family? After you've watched this lesson and learned what we call people we are in a relationship with when talking about them, watch Ronnie's lesson to learn what we call them when talking TO them: youtube.com/watch?v=URoJ6l5MVlY
Take the quiz: engvid.com/english-vocabulary-people-we-love
TRANSCRIPT
Hello. My name is Emma, and in today's video we are going to talk about love and romance, and all those wonderful relationship words. Okay? So, this video is very important when we're talking about conversational English and English vocabulary, because a lot of what we talk about is relationships. Maybe if we don't have a relationship, we might talk about our friends' relationships or our family's relationships, so it's good to know these words. So, we're going to talk about some of the more common words you'll hear people talk about. For example, maybe you've wondered before: "What's the difference between: 'spouse', 'husband', and 'partner'? When do I use these different terms?" Well, that's a great question. "What do you call a girlfriend or boyfriend when you're in your 60s?" That's a great question, too. So we have a lot of these questions students often ask, so in this video I'm going to answer them. So let's get started.
To start with, let's talk about marriage. Okay? Getting married. What do you call somebody who is married? Well, there are multiple things you can call a person who is married. If we're looking at traditional terms, so terms a lot of people use that are more traditional, you might hear somebody talk about "a husband" if they're talking about a man who is married, you might hear them talk about their "hubby" if they're talking about a husband in an informal way. So, for example, I could talk about my husband or my hubby, they have the same meaning and they're talking about a man. I can also, if I'm talking about a woman, we can use the word "wife": "My wife". If we're talking about more than one husband, we can just add an "s" and say: "husbands". And if we're talking about more than one wife, we actually have to change the spelling from "f" to "v" and add an "s", and so this is pronounced: "wives". "Wife", "wives". Okay? So these are women and these are men.
We also have another term which I like: "spouse". So, "spouse" is a word that can mean either a husband or a wife, it's a different word, but the point is that it can be a man or a woman. Okay? So you can talk about: "My spouse", "Your spouse", "How long have you and your spouse been married?" If you're having trouble remembering this word, you can think about a mouse, maybe a mouse who's married, that can help you remember the word "spouse" because it rhymes with "mouse". Okay. So these are more the traditional terms we use when we talk about people who are married.
We also have less traditional terms that are very common and many people use. A less traditional term might be the term "partner". When we're talking about partner, you have your business partners, but in a relationship when you're talking about romance and love, you can also have a partner. So, "a partner" is someone you are in a relationship with. So, in this case, "partner" can mean that you're married to the person, so maybe you're married, but it's not necessary. So some people use the term "partner" when they're talking about who they're married to, and other people use the word "partner" and they're not married, so it can mean married or not. We can also use "partner"... It's genderless, meaning we don't know if the partner refers to a man, a woman, or a different gender. We also don't know if the person is in a same-sex relationship, or a gay or lesbian relationship, or if they're in a heterosexual or a straight relationship. So, the word "partner" is... It's different than the more traditional terms because there's a lot of information that people might not want to share, so they might use the word "partner" instead. Or maybe "husband" and "wife", those terms don't apply, so they like the word "partner". You might also hear somebody talk about their "life partner", which is another way to say "partner" or their "domestic partner". […]
Ready for an English lesson on romantic relationships? There are many terms we use when talking about people in romantic relationships. Spouse, partner, significant other, husband, wife, better half, lover, girlfriend, boyfriend, couple, and common-law are just some examples of relationship terms we'll be talking about in this video. I will teach you why some people might prefer the term partner instead of husband or wife. We will also discuss what people call the family of their husband or wife. For example, what does the term in-law mean and how do we use it to describe our partner's family? After you've watched this lesson and learned what we call people we are in a relationship with when talking about them, watch Ronnie's lesson to learn what we call them when talking TO them: youtube.com/watch?v=URoJ6l5MVlY
Take the quiz: engvid.com/english-vocabulary-people-we-love
TRANSCRIPT
Hello. My name is Emma, and in today's video we are going to talk about love and romance, and all those wonderful relationship words. Okay? So, this video is very important when we're talking about conversational English and English vocabulary, because a lot of what we talk about is relationships. Maybe if we don't have a relationship, we might talk about our friends' relationships or our family's relationships, so it's good to know these words. So, we're going to talk about some of the more common words you'll hear people talk about. For example, maybe you've wondered before: "What's the difference between: 'spouse', 'husband', and 'partner'? When do I use these different terms?" Well, that's a great question. "What do you call a girlfriend or boyfriend when you're in your 60s?" That's a great question, too. So we have a lot of these questions students often ask, so in this video I'm going to answer them. So let's get started.
To start with, let's talk about marriage. Okay? Getting married. What do you call somebody who is married? Well, there are multiple things you can call a person who is married. If we're looking at traditional terms, so terms a lot of people use that are more traditional, you might hear somebody talk about "a husband" if they're talking about a man who is married, you might hear them talk about their "hubby" if they're talking about a husband in an informal way. So, for example, I could talk about my husband or my hubby, they have the same meaning and they're talking about a man. I can also, if I'm talking about a woman, we can use the word "wife": "My wife". If we're talking about more than one husband, we can just add an "s" and say: "husbands". And if we're talking about more than one wife, we actually have to change the spelling from "f" to "v" and add an "s", and so this is pronounced: "wives". "Wife", "wives". Okay? So these are women and these are men.
We also have another term which I like: "spouse". So, "spouse" is a word that can mean either a husband or a wife, it's a different word, but the point is that it can be a man or a woman. Okay? So you can talk about: "My spouse", "Your spouse", "How long have you and your spouse been married?" If you're having trouble remembering this word, you can think about a mouse, maybe a mouse who's married, that can help you remember the word "spouse" because it rhymes with "mouse". Okay. So these are more the traditional terms we use when we talk about people who are married.
We also have less traditional terms that are very common and many people use. A less traditional term might be the term "partner". When we're talking about partner, you have your business partners, but in a relationship when you're talking about romance and love, you can also have a partner. So, "a partner" is someone you are in a relationship with. So, in this case, "partner" can mean that you're married to the person, so maybe you're married, but it's not necessary. So some people use the term "partner" when they're talking about who they're married to, and other people use the word "partner" and they're not married, so it can mean married or not. We can also use "partner"... It's genderless, meaning we don't know if the partner refers to a man, a woman, or a different gender. We also don't know if the person is in a same-sex relationship, or a gay or lesbian relationship, or if they're in a heterosexual or a straight relationship. So, the word "partner" is... It's different than the more traditional terms because there's a lot of information that people might not want to share, so they might use the word "partner" instead. Or maybe "husband" and "wife", those terms don't apply, so they like the word "partner". You might also hear somebody talk about their "life partner", which is another way to say "partner" or their "domestic partner". […]
