Definitions

hūn (verb) to marry; to get married
hūn (noun) marriage; wedding

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "婚" structurally combines the radical "女", indicating woman, with the component "昏", meaning dusk, which originally conveyed both sound and the idea of evening, reflecting an ancient practice of holding wedding ceremonies at that time. This etymological construction points to the character's early association with the ritual aspect of marriage, specifically the ceremonial union involving a woman. Over time, the meaning of "婚" gradually broadened from denoting the dusk ceremony to encompassing the entire concept of marriage, including the matrimonial bond and its social dimensions, while its graphical form has persisted without substantial alteration, maintaining the core components that link it to its ritual origins.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他们去年结了。

Tāmen qùnián jiéhūn le.

They got married last year.

我的姐姐即将结

Wǒ de jiějie jíjiāng jiéhūn.

My older sister is about to get married.

他们在教堂举行了礼。

Tāmen zài jiàotáng jǔxíngle hūnlǐ.

They held their wedding in a church.

姻需要双方共同努力。

Hūnyīn xūyào shuāngfāng gòngtóng nǔlì.

Marriage requires mutual effort from both parties.

幸福的姻基于相互尊重。

Xìngfú de hūnyīn jīyú xiānghù zūnzhòng.

A happy marriage is based on mutual respect.

现代姻观念发生了很大变化。

Xiàndài hūnyīn guānniàn fāshēngle hěn dà biànhuà.

Modern concepts of marriage have undergone significant changes.

如果姻出现危机,应该寻求帮助。

Rúguǒ hūnyīn chūxiàn wēijī, yīnggāi xúnqiú bāngzhù.

If marriage faces a crisis, one should seek help.

跨国姻需要克服文化差异和语言障碍。

Kuàguó hūnyīn xūyào kèfú wénhuà chāyì hé yǔyán zhàng'ài.

Cross-border marriages need to overcome cultural differences and language barriers.