About
俪, the simplified form of 儷, is a noun denoting a married couple. It is a phono-semantic compound: the left radical 亻 ('person') indicates the character belongs to the domain of human relationships. The right component 丽 (simplified from the more complex 麗) acts as both phonetic and semantic element. While 麗 is commonly associated with beauty, it also means 'paired' or 'coupled', which gives the character its core meaning of marital union. 俪 almost always refers to husband and wife, used in classical and formal contexts, notably in the term 伉俪 (married couple). The modern simplified writing preserves the structural and phonological relationship of the traditional form.
Etymology Hide
Example Words
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.