婚礼
hūnlǐ
The English word "wedding" is translated into Chinese as 婚礼 (hūnlǐ).
婚礼 is a common and straightforward term for a marriage ceremony used across the country. To say you are attending a wedding, you should use the phrase 参加婚礼.
Meaning: marriage ceremony (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 婚礼 is composed of 婚 (marriage) and 礼 (ceremony/ritual), literally meaning "marriage ceremony".
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between the noun and the verb: 婚礼 refers specifically to the ceremony itself, whereas 结婚 is the verb used to describe the act of getting married.
How do you pronounce it?
hūnlǐ
Did you know?
- In some regions, the phrase 闹洞房 refers to 'disturbing the bridal chamber', a traditional wedding custom where guests playfully tease the newlyweds in their room to wish them fertility.
- Traditional Chinese weddings were often called 红事 (red affairs) to distinguish them from 'white affairs' (funerals), a distinction that still influences how people talk about life events.
- Chinese wedding invitations often use a specific 'double happiness' symbol 囍, which is created by doubling the character for 'joy' 喜.
Examples in context
- 你出席了我的婚礼。You were at my wedding.This sentence shows how to express that someone was present at a wedding using 婚礼.Tatoeba #3043968 by sadhen, translation #2645567 by CK
- 萨米没有参加蕾拉的婚礼。Sami didn't go to Layla's wedding.This sentence demonstrates a negative example of not going to a wedding using 婚礼.Tatoeba #8969796 by WilsonWong, translation #6575841 by OsoHombre
- 汤姆不打算去参加玛丽的婚礼。Tom has no intention of going to Mary's wedding.This sentence illustrates expressing an intention regarding attending a wedding using 婚礼.Tatoeba #13941580 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #1093632 by CK
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Yuting are discussing a friend's upcoming event.
- 志强 Zhiqiang你收到婚礼的邀请函了吗？Nǐ shōudào hūnlǐ de yāoqǐnghán le ma?Did you receive the wedding invitation?
- 雨婷 Yuting收到了，婚礼在下周六。Shōudào le, hūnlǐ zài xià zhōu liù.I did, the wedding is next Saturday.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我们要一起去参加婚礼吗？Wǒmen yào yīqǐ qù cānjiā hūnlǐ ma?Shall we go to the wedding together?
- 雨婷 Yuting好的，我们到时候一起走。Hǎo de, wǒmen dàoshíhòu yīqǐ zǒu.Okay, we will go together then.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
