Hong Kong - Singer Gigi Leung's romance with a French furniture designer is out in the open, after she revealed that he has popped the question, say reports.

Leung, 33, said her boyfriend of three years, named in stories only as Sly, hopes to marry her in Paris next year, reported Ming Pao Daily News.

But she was quoted as saying in Apple Daily yesterday: 'I haven't decided.'

She also said she prefers to do things more spontaneously although marriage has crossed her mind. She said he wants to have children, but she is not prepared to be a mother just yet.

Ming Pao said Leung, a former design student, met Sly, who is in his 40s, during her travels after her break-up from actor Ekin Cheng in 2006. They were introduced by friends.

They were seen for the first time that year in Japan, where she went to catch singer Madonna in concert.

Leung later announced that they had split up so that the paparazzi would stop hounding Sly, who is not a celebrity and not used to media attention, said reports.

The couple also tried to keep their romance low-key as the singer's mother could not quite accept her foreign beau.

Since then, Leung said, he has been learning Cantonese to communicate with her mother. The singer has also met her boyfriend's parents in France.

He has been commuting between Japan and France but plans to be based in Hong Kong for her.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.