How to Say “You Swan, He Frog” in Chinese?

Have you ever come across a phrase that makes you chuckle while making a point? One such phrase that’s been buzzing online is “You Swan, He Frog.”

In early August, an Ukrainian influencer @YourKris shared an emotional photo with her boyfriend on Red (Xiaohongshu, Chinese Instagram). After the post, Chinese netizens used loads of interesting phrases to offer ‘comfort’ to the influencer. See her tweet here. There was one intersting phrase which caught the internet’s attention, and it read: “You pretty, he ugly, u swan, he frog.”

What does the phrase mean?

A netizen found the phrase so relatable that they turned it into this creative picture.

According to Daily dot, the phrase describes a relationship where one person seems more attractive (the “swan”) than the other (the “frog”). In standard English, it should be “You are a swan, he is a frog”. Though it started as “Chinglish”, it caught on online. Most people found it relatable and comforting. These days, it’s even used to talk about everything from politics to celebrity dating rumours.

Here are a couple of more featured tweets:

he ugly, u pretty, trump frog, you swan

u pretty he ugly u Swan he frog

How do you say it in Chinese?

“You Swan, He Frog” can be traced back to an old Chinese saying “癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉” (lài há ma xiǎng chī tiàn é ròu) which literally translates to “a toad wants to eat swan meat” and means that someone is craving something they are not worthy of (e.g. an ugly man wants to be with a beautiful woman). Here’s what it sounds like in Chinese:

But if you want to keep things simple, go with a direct translation: “你是天鹅, 他是青蛙” (nǐ shì tiān’é, tā shì qīngwā) .

This translation carries the same playful meaning, where “你” means “you,” “是” means “are,” “天鹅” means “swan,” and “青蛙” means “frog.”

In this sentence, one key grammar point is the verb “是” (shì). In Chinese, “是” is used to equate the subject with the object, much like the verb “be” in English. It’s straightforward and essential when making simple statements about identity, characteristics, or relationships. 

For example, in “你是天鹅,” “你” (you) is the subject, “是” (are) is the verb, and “天鹅” (swan) is the object, showing that “you” are being equated to a swan.

 

Other Examples

Actually, this structure is pretty useful in everyday Chinese conversations. In self- introduction, you can use this structure–“Subject 是 Object” to talk about your name and nationality.

For example: 

• Wǒ shì Lín Hóng。
  我   是   林红。
  I am Lin Hong.

• Wǒ shì hánguó rén。
  我   是    韩国人。
  I am South Korean.

You can also use it to talk about your profession:

• Wǒ shì jìzhě。
  我   是  记者。
  I am a journalist.

• Wǒ shì yīshēng。
  我    是  医生。
  I am a doctor.

In addition, you can use this structure to describe objects around you. For example:

• Zhè shì shuǐbēi。
  这    是   水杯。
  This is a cup.

• Zhè shì chuáng。
  这    是      床。
  This is a bed.

This simple sentence structure makes it easy to describe things like nationalities, places, and more. Using “是” helps you create practical sentences for everyday conversations. With ChineseSkill, you can learn more about using “是” through hands-on materials and interactive exercises that strengthen your Chinese skills. 

So why not explore the app and start your Chinese journey with us today? Click here to get started!