hūnlǐ: 婚礼 - Wedding, Wedding Ceremony

• Keywords: 婚礼, hūnlǐ, Chinese wedding, Chinese wedding ceremony, how to say wedding in Chinese, marriage in China, hūnlǐ meaning, traditional Chinese wedding, modern Chinese wedding, 结婚 vs 婚礼, Chinese wedding customs.
• Summary: Learn all about the Chinese word for wedding, 婚礼 (hūnlǐ). This page explores the meaning of hūnlǐ, from its character origins to its central role in Chinese culture. Discover how a modern Chinese wedding ceremony blends ancient traditions with Western influences, and understand the crucial difference between 婚礼 (hūnlǐ), the event, and 结婚 (jiéhūn), the act of getting married. This is your essential guide to understanding and talking about weddings in China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): hūnlǐ
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: A wedding ceremony and its associated celebrations.
• In a Nutshell: 婚礼 (hūnlǐ) is the word for the wedding *event* itself—the party, the ceremony, the banquet. It's not the state of being married, but the big celebration that marks the beginning of it. Think of it as the specific day or series of events filled with rituals, food, and family, rather than the legal or personal state of matrimony.

• 婚 (hūn): This character means “to marry” or “marriage.” It's a combination of the radical 女 (nǚ), meaning “woman,” and the phonetic component 昏 (hūn), which means “dusk” or “twilight.” Historically, weddings were often conducted at dusk, a tradition reflected in the character itself.
• 礼 (lǐ): This character means “ceremony,” “rite,” “ritual,” or “etiquette.” It's a cornerstone of Chinese culture, representing proper conduct and formal social occasions. It appears in words like `礼物 (lǐwù)` (gift) and `礼貌 (lǐmào)` (politeness).

When you combine them, 婚 (marriage) + 礼 (ceremony) = 婚礼 (hūnlǐ), which literally and logically translates to “marriage ceremony” or “wedding.”

In Chinese culture, a 婚礼 (hūnlǐ) is far more than just a celebration of two individuals' love. It is a profoundly significant social event that marks the formal union of two families. Family Union vs. Individual Expression: While Western weddings increasingly focus on the couple's unique personalities and love story, a traditional Chinese 婚礼 places immense emphasis on the family. It's an opportunity for the families to gain “face” (面子, miànzi), demonstrate their social standing, and formally welcome a new member. The parents are often deeply involved in the planning, from choosing an auspicious date based on the lunar calendar to curating the guest list. Key Cultural Elements:

• 红包 (hóngbāo - Red Envelopes): Instead of a gift registry, guests give cash in red envelopes. This is considered a practical way to help the new couple start their life and for the families to recoup the costs of the often-lavish banquet.
• 敬茶 (jìngchá - Tea Ceremony): This is a pivotal ritual where the bride and groom serve tea to their parents and other senior relatives. It symbolizes respect, gratitude, and the official joining of the families.
• The Color Red: Red is the color of luck, joy, and prosperity. It dominates the 婚礼, appearing in the bride's traditional dress (旗袍, qípáo), decorations, and the red envelopes.

A modern 婚礼 in China is often a fascinating blend of these traditions and Western elements, like the bride wearing a white gown for part of the day and a red one for another.

Today, 婚礼 (hūnlǐ) is used to refer to the entire wedding celebration, which can be a multi-part affair.

• Planning: People talk about `筹备婚礼 (chóubèi hūnlǐ)` (to plan a wedding) or `举办婚礼 (jǔbàn hūnlǐ)` (to hold a wedding).
• Attending: You would say you are going to `参加一个婚礼 (cānjiā yí ge hūnlǐ)` (attend a wedding).
• Types of Weddings: You can specify the style, such as `中式婚礼 (zhōngshì hūnlǐ)` (Chinese-style wedding) or `西式婚礼 (xīshì hūnlǐ)` (Western-style wedding).

The main event of most modern weddings is the 婚宴 (hūnyàn), or wedding banquet. This is typically a large, multi-course meal held in a hotel ballroom where speeches are made and toasts are given. The term 婚礼 encompasses this banquet as well as any preceding ceremonies.

Example 1:

• 我们下个月要去参加我表哥的婚礼。
• Pinyin: Wǒmen xià ge yuè yào qù cānjiā wǒ biǎogē de hūnlǐ.
• English: We are going to attend my cousin's wedding next month.
• Analysis: This is a very common and straightforward use of the word. `参加 (cānjiā)` is the standard verb for attending an event like a wedding.

Example 2:

• 他们的婚礼办得非常热闹和感人。
• Pinyin: Tāmen de hūnlǐ bàn de fēicháng rènào hé gǎnrén.
• English: Their wedding was very lively and touching.
• Analysis: `办 (bàn)` here means “to hold” or “to carry out.” `热闹 (rènào)` is a key cultural word meaning “lively” or “bustling with activity,” a desired quality for a celebration.

Example 3:

• 你梦想中的婚礼是什么样的？
• Pinyin: Nǐ mèngxiǎng zhōng de hūnlǐ shì shénme yàng de?
• English: What is your dream wedding like?
• Analysis: A great conversational question. It shows 婚礼 is used to discuss the ideal or desired form of the ceremony.

Example 4:

• 这场婚礼的费用太高了，我们负担不起。
• Pinyin: Zhè chǎng hūnlǐ de fèiyòng tài gāo le, wǒmen fùdān bù qǐ.
• English: The cost of this wedding is too high; we can't afford it.
• Analysis: `场 (chǎng)` is a measure word for events like performances, movies, and weddings. `费用 (fèiyòng)` means cost or expense.

Example 5:

• 他们决定举办一个简单的旅行婚礼。
• Pinyin: Tāmen juédìng jǔbàn yí ge jiǎndān de lǚxíng hūnlǐ.
• English: They decided to have a simple destination wedding.
• Analysis: Shows how you can describe the type of wedding. `旅行婚礼 (lǚxíng hūnlǐ)` literally means “travel wedding.”

Example 6:

• 按照传统，新娘在婚礼上要给父母敬茶。
• Pinyin: Ànzhào chuántǒng, xīnniáng zài hūnlǐ shàng yào gěi fùmǔ jìngchá.
• English: According to tradition, the bride must serve tea to her parents at the wedding.
• Analysis: This sentence connects 婚礼 directly with a specific cultural tradition, the `敬茶 (jìngchá)` tea ceremony.

Example 7:

• 他的婚礼邀请了超过三百位宾客。
• Pinyin: Tā de hūnlǐ yāoqǐng le chāoguò sānbǎi wèi bīnkè.
• English: His wedding invited over three hundred guests.
• Analysis: `邀请 (yāoqǐng)` is the verb “to invite.” Note the use of the formal measure word for people, `位 (wèi)`, when referring to guests (`宾客 bīnkè`).

Example 8:

• 策划一场完美的婚礼需要很多时间和精力。
• Pinyin: Cèhuà yī chǎng wánměi de hūnlǐ xūyào hěn duō shíjiān hé jīnglì.
• English: Planning a perfect wedding requires a lot of time and energy.
• Analysis: `策划 (cèhuà)` means “to plan” or “to mastermind,” often used for large-scale events.

Example 9:

• 你收到他们的婚礼请柬了吗？
• Pinyin: Nǐ shōudào tāmen de hūnlǐ qǐngjiǎn le ma?
• English: Have you received their wedding invitation?
• Analysis: A practical question. A `请柬 (qǐngjiǎn)` is a formal written invitation card.

Example 10:

• 祝你们的婚礼圆满成功！
• Pinyin: Zhù nǐmen de hūnlǐ yuánmǎn chénggōng!
• English: Wishing your wedding complete success!
• Analysis: A formal well-wish you might write on a card or say at the event. `圆满成功 (yuánmǎn chénggōng)` is a set phrase for wishing an event to conclude perfectly.

The most critical mistake for learners is confusing 婚礼 (hūnlǐ) with 结婚 (jiéhūn).

• 婚礼 (hūnlǐ) is a noun meaning “wedding ceremony/event.”
• 结婚 (jiéhūn) is a verb-object meaning “to get married” or “to marry.” It describes the action or the resulting marital status.

Think of it this way: You 结婚 (jiéhūn) to become married, and you 举办婚礼 (jǔbàn hūnlǐ) to celebrate it. Examples of Correct vs. Incorrect Usage:

• To say “They got married last year”:
  • Correct: 他们去年结婚了。(Tāmen qùnián jiéhūn le.)
  • Incorrect: 他们去年婚礼了。(Tāmen qùnián hūnlǐ le.)
  • Why: `婚礼` is a noun. You cannot add `了 (le)` to it as if it were a verb. You can, however, say: 他们去年举办了婚礼。(Tāmen qùnián jǔbànle hūnlǐ.) - “They held a wedding last year.”
• To ask “When are you getting married?”:
  • Correct: 你们什么时候结婚？ (Nǐmen shénme shíhou jiéhūn?)
  • Incorrect: 你们什么时候婚礼？(Nǐmen shénme shíhou hūnlǐ?)
  • Why: You are asking about the action of getting married, not just the event. To ask about the event, you would say: 你们的婚礼在什么时候？(Nǐmen de hūnlǐ zài shénme shíhou?) - “When is your wedding?”

In short, if you could say “wedding ceremony” in English, use 婚礼 (hūnlǐ). If you mean the act of “getting married,” use 结婚 (jiéhūn).

• 结婚 (jiéhūn) - To get married. The action or state, as opposed to 婚礼, which is the event.
• 新郎 (xīnláng) - The groom.
• 新娘 (xīnniáng) - The bride.
• 婚宴 (hūnyàn) - The wedding banquet or reception, which is often the main part of a 婚礼.
• 婚纱 (hūnshā) - Wedding dress, specifically the white, Western-style gown. `婚 (marriage) + 纱 (gauze/yarn)`.
• 敬茶 (jìngchá) - The tea ceremony; a core ritual within a 婚礼 to show respect to elders.
• 红包 (hóngbāo) - Red envelope containing money given as a gift at a 婚礼.
• 喜糖 (xǐtáng) - “Happiness candy”; small candy favors given to guests and colleagues to share the joy of the marriage.
• 求婚 (qiúhūn) - To propose marriage. The event that happens before planning the 婚礼.
• 离婚 (líhūn) - To divorce. The legal and social opposite of 结婚 (jiéhūn).