娶

qǔ

取 + 女

HSK 2.0Level 5

HSK 3.0Level 6

Definitions

qǔ (verb) to take a wife; to marry (a woman)

Etymology

Depicts taking (取) a woman (女) for a man to marry. 取 also represents the sound.

About

The character 娶 is a phono-semantic compound composed of 取 (to take) on top and 女 (woman) below. 取 serves a dual role, hinting at the meaning of taking and also providing the pronunciation. The structure directly depicts a man taking a woman as his wife, and this is exactly what the character means: a man marrying a woman. In usage, it applies solely to the male perspective of marriage, setting it apart from other characters that describe marriage from a woman's viewpoint.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

昨天我娶了她。

Zuótiān wǒ qǔ le tā.

Yesterday I married her.

他想娶一位老师。

Tā xiǎng qǔ yī wèi lǎoshī.

He wants to marry a teacher.

弟弟准备明年娶妻。

Dìdi zhǔnbèi míngnián qǔ qī.

My younger brother plans to marry next year.

娶到一个好妻子是幸福的。

Qǔ dào yī gè hǎo qīzi shì xìngfú de.

Marrying a good wife is happy.

如果我有钱，我就娶她。

Rúguǒ wǒ yǒu qián, wǒ jiù qǔ tā.

If I have money, I will marry her.

他娶了那个他爱了很多年的女人。

Tā qǔ le nàgè tā ài le hěn duō nián de nǚrén.

He married the woman he loved for many years.

在传统文化中，娶亲是重要的事情。

Zài chuántǒng wénhuà zhōng, qǔqīn shì zhòngyào de shìqíng.

In traditional culture, marrying is an important matter.

尽管家人反对，他还是决心要娶她为妻。

Jǐnguǎn jiārén fǎnduì, tā háishì juéxīn yào qǔ tā wéi qī.

Despite family opposition, he is determined to marry her.

Related Characters

Component: 取

Component: 女

娶