结婚
jiéhūn
To marry in Chinese is 结婚 (jiéhūn).
While often translated as 'to marry', it more accurately describes the state or act of 'getting married' rather than the transitive action of marrying a specific person.
Meaning: to be joined in marriage (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The first character 结 means to tie or form a knot. The second character 婚 refers to marriage or wedding.
Which one should you use?
The word 嫁 (jià) refers to the act of a woman marrying a groom. The word 娶 (qǔ) refers to the act of a man marrying a bride.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 结婚 is intransitive and cannot take a direct object. You must use the structure '和 [person] 结婚' to say 'marry [person]'.
How do you pronounce it?
jiéhūn
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly place the object directly after the verb, but 结婚 cannot be followed by a person (e.g., 结婚他 is incorrect).
Did you know?
- While 结婚 is the standard term, the concept of 'marriage' in Chinese is often linked to the idea of 缘分 (yuánfèn), a predestined fate that brings two people together.
- While 结婚 describes the legal or social union, the word 娶 (qǔ) historically meant 'to fetch' or 'to take'. It describes the groom's act of physically bringing the bride from her family home to his own.
- The character 婚 (hūn) contains the radical for 'woman' 女, highlighting the historical focus on the bride's role in the union.
Examples in context
- 我想和你结婚。I wish to marry you.This sentence shows how to express a desire to marry someone using 结婚.Tatoeba #1366223 by sadhen, translation #7767728 by sharris123
- 她决定和他结婚。She decided to marry him.This sentence demonstrates how to express a decision to marry someone using 结婚.Tatoeba #1360032 by sadhen, translation #887061 by CK
- 我只是不想和汤姆结婚。I just don't want to marry Tom.This sentence shows how to use the negative form to express not wanting to marry someone using 结婚.Tatoeba #2241824 by sadhen, translation #2014290 by CK
- 我要结婚了 (Wǒ yào jié hūn le)I am getting married!
- 我们结婚了 (Wǒmen jié hūn le)We got married!
- 我的朋友要结婚了 (Wǒ de péngyǒu yào jié hūn le)My friend is getting married!
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Xiaowen are talking about their future plans.
- 志强 Zhiqiang你打算什么时候结婚？Nǐ dǎsuàn shénme shíhou jiéhūn?When are you planning to marry?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我还不想现在结婚。Wǒ hái bùxiǎng xiànzài jiéhūn.I don't want to marry right now.
- 志强 Zhiqiang为什么不想结婚？Wèishéme bùxiǎng jiéhūn?Why don't you want to marry?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我想先完成学业。Wǒ xiǎng xiān wánchéng xuéyè.I want to finish my studies first.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
