Ah... I really love the way the idea of 'being a third wheel' is expressed in Chinese (and some of the photos I got to put in this blog post as a result).

The term that they use for this situation is 'being a light bulb' which translates to 当电灯泡 - dāng diàn dēng pào.

The reason it's called being a light bulb (电灯泡) is that has to do with the ideal dating situation. A nice, dark intimate setting where a couple can enjoy "intimate conversation" (insert heeeyoohh).

But instead the couple can't enjoy this moment because you're hanging around, like a light bulb, making everything too bright and public to enjoy.

Example usage:

我不喜欢当电灯泡

wǒ bù xǐ huan dāng diàn dēng pào

I don't want to be a light bulb.

Extra vocabulary:

尴尬 - gān gà

awkward / embarrassed



I first heard of this phrase from Chinesepod Intermediate - The Jealous Friend (may need membership to listen).

And this was a great photo that I had to include, via Eric and Lauren show. 当电灯泡！ - dāng diàn dēng pào!





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