How to Say "Marry" in Japanese

結婚する

kekkon suru

To marry in Japanese is to say 結婚する (kekkon suru).

The verb 結婚する is used to express the act of being joined in marriage.

Meaning: to be joined in marriage (verb)

How does it change in a sentence?

When you specify the person you are marrying, you must use the particle と (to), which means 'with' or 'to', to indicate the partner.

kekkon suru

English speakers often mistakenly use the particle を (wo) to say 'marry someone'. In Japanese, you must use と (to) to indicate the partner instead.

The term 結婚 is used for legal marriage, but the phrase 入籍する (nyuuseki suru) literally means 'to enter the family register'. In Japan, this is the official act that makes a marriage legal.
In formal settings or older literature, you may see 娶る (toru) used specifically for a man taking a wife and 嫁ぐ (yomegu) for a woman marrying into a husband's family.
In traditional Shinto weddings, the couple does not simply 'marry' but participates in 三三九度 (san-san-kudo), the ritual exchange of sake cups to seal the bond.

彼女は彼と結婚するのかなあ。
I wonder if she will marry him.
This sentence is useful for expressing wonder about a future marriage using 結婚する.
Tatoeba #87460 by small_snow, translation #316248 by CK
彼は彼女と結婚する約束をした。
He promised to marry her.
This sentence shows how to express a promise to marry someone using 結婚する.
Tatoeba #101073 by bunbuku, translation #302624 by CK
彼女は彼と結婚すると約束した。
She promised to marry him.
This sentence provides another way to express a promise to marry someone using 結婚する.
Tatoeba #1465897 by bunbuku, translation #887342 by CK
彼女は来年結婚します。
She is getting married next year.
彼らは法的に婚姻しました。
They legally married.
最近友達が結婚した。
A friend of mine recently got married.
彼は日本人と結婚するつもりです。
He intends to marry a Japanese person.
結婚おめでとうございます！
Congratulations on your marriage!
私たちは来年結婚します。
We are getting married next year.
結婚することに決めました。
We have decided to get married.
35 more sentences on Tatoeba

Two friends are talking about their future plans over coffee.

結衣 Yui

いつか、誰かと結婚するつもり？
Itsuka, dareka to kekkon suru tsumori?
Do you intend to marry someone someday?
蓮 Ren

まだ分からないけど、いつかは結婚したいな。
Mada wakaranai kedo, itsuka wa kekkon shitai na.
I don't know yet, but I want to marry someday.
結衣 Yui

蓮さんは、素敵な奥さんができそうだね。
Ren-san wa, suteki na okusan ga dekisou da ne.
Ren, it looks like you will have a wonderful wife.
蓮 Ren

そうかな？結衣にそう言われると照れるよ。
Sou kana? Yui ni sou iwareru to tereru yo.
You think so? I'm embarrassed when you say that, Yui.

Sources

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