你结婚了吗？
nǐ jiéhūn le ma?
The English phrase 'are you married' is translated into Chinese as 你结婚了吗？ (nǐ jiéhūn le ma?)
It is considered a polite way to ask the question.
Meaning: polite (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally breaks down to 你 (you) 结婚 (married) 了 (completed action aspect marker) and 吗 (question particle).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, you can say 你結過婚未呀？ to ask if someone is married. In Shanghainese, the phrase is 你结婚了无？ In Hokkien, the phrase is 你有結婚未呀？
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle 吗 (ma) is added to the end of a declarative sentence to turn it into a yes/no question.
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ jiéhūn le ma?
Did you know?
- The word 结婚 comes from 结 (to tie or knot) and 婚 (marriage). This reflects the ancient cultural concept of marriage as 'tying a knot' between two families.
- In many parts of China, asking 你结婚了吗? is often used as a common icebreaker by elders or even strangers in social settings. It is less an invasion of privacy and more a way to initiate conversation.
- In some Chinese-speaking communities, instead of asking 你结婚了吗?, people might ask about your 'red book' (红本), referring to the official marriage certificate.
Examples in context
- 请问你结婚了吗？Excuse me, are you married?
- 请问贵姓？是否已婚？May I ask your last name? Are you married?
- 你结婚了吗？Are you married?
Example conversation
Two acquaintances meet at a social gathering.
- 浩然 Haoran雨婷，你结婚了吗？Yǔtíng, nǐ jiéhūn le ma?Yuting, are you married?
- 雨婷 Yuting我还没结婚。Wǒ hái méi jiéhūn.I am not married yet.
- 浩然 Haoran原来如此。Yuánlái rúcǐ.I see.
- 雨婷 Yuting那浩然呢？Nà Hàorán ne?How about Haoran?
