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| 订婚 [2025/08/13 08:36] – created xiaoer | 订婚 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1 |
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| ====== dìnghūn: 订婚 - To Get Engaged, Engagement ====== | |
| ===== Quick Summary ===== | |
| * **Keywords:** 订婚, dinghun, get engaged in Chinese, Chinese engagement, engagement ceremony China, how to say engaged in Mandarin, 订婚 vs 结婚, 求婚, Chinese wedding traditions, fiancée, fiancé in Chinese | |
| * **Summary:** Learn about **订婚 (dìnghūn)**, the Chinese term for getting engaged. This page explores its cultural significance, modern usage, and how it differs from a Western proposal. Discover how **订婚** is a crucial, often family-centric, step towards marriage in China, involving formal agreements and celebrations that go beyond a simple romantic gesture. | |
| ===== Core Meaning ===== | |
| * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** dìnghūn | |
| * **Part of Speech:** Verb, Noun | |
| * **HSK Level:** HSK 5 | |
| * **Concise Definition:** To be formally engaged to be married; an engagement. | |
| * **In a Nutshell:** **订婚 (dìnghūn)** is the official agreement to get married. While a romantic proposal might start the process, **订婚** is the stage where the intent to marry becomes a formal, often public, commitment. It frequently involves the families of the couple meeting and giving their blessing, solidifying the union not just between two individuals, but between two families. | |
| ===== Character Breakdown ===== | |
| * **订 (dìng):** This character means "to agree on," "to book," or "to subscribe." The left radical `言 (yán)` means "speech," indicating that this is a formal agreement made through words or a contract. | |
| * **婚 (hūn):** This character means "marriage" or "wedding." The left radical `女 (nǚ)` means "woman," reflecting the traditional view of marriage. | |
| The characters combine literally to mean "to make an agreement (订) about marriage (婚)," which perfectly captures the term's meaning. | |
| ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== | |
| In traditional Chinese culture, a **订婚 (dìnghūn)** was far more significant than a simple romantic proposal. It was a formal, binding contract between two families, often arranged by parents and matchmakers. The focus was on the merging of the two families, ensuring social and economic stability. | |
| **Comparison to Western Engagement:** | |
| * **The Proposal:** In the West, an engagement typically begins with a surprise proposal (`求婚 qiúhūn`) from one partner to the other. This is a very individualistic and romantic moment. While modern China has adopted the romantic proposal, the **订婚 (dìnghūn)** can be a separate, more formal event. | |
| * **Family Involvement:** A Western engagement is primarily about the couple. Family is informed afterward. In China, **订婚 (dìnghūn)** traditionally places immense value on family approval. It is often marked by a formal meeting or a banquet (`订婚宴 dìnghūn yàn`) where the parents from both sides meet, discuss the future, and give their official blessing. | |
| * **Formalities:** The Chinese **订婚 (dìnghūn)** can involve discussions about practical matters, including auspicious dates for the wedding, living arrangements, and even the exchange of traditional gifts like the betrothal gift (`聘礼 pìnlǐ`) from the groom's family to the bride's. This makes it a much more structured and formal step than its Western counterpart. | |
| While modern couples in China have more autonomy, the essence of **订婚 (dìnghūn)** as a serious, family-acknowledged commitment remains a powerful cultural norm. | |
| ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== | |
| **订婚 (dìnghūn)** is a formal term used in specific contexts related to the process of getting married. | |
| * **Announcements:** It's the standard term to use when officially announcing your engagement to family, friends, and colleagues. For example, "我们订婚了！" (Wǒmen dìnghūn le! - We got engaged!). | |
| * **Social Media:** Young couples will often post photos from their proposal or engagement party on WeChat or Weibo with captions including the word **订婚**. | |
| * **Formal Conversations:** When discussing marital status, **订婚** signifies a more concrete step than simply "dating." It implies a definite plan to marry in the near future. | |
| * **As a Noun:** It can also be used as a noun to refer to the event itself, e.g., "他们的订婚很简单" (Tāmen de dìnghūn hěn jiǎndān - Their engagement was very simple). | |
| ===== Example Sentences ===== | |
| * **Example 1:** | |
| * 我们决定下个月**订婚**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒmen juédìng xià ge yuè **dìnghūn**. | |
| * English: We've decided to get engaged next month. | |
| * Analysis: A straightforward statement of intent. `决定 (juédìng)` means "to decide," showing this is a planned event. | |
| * **Example 2:** | |
| * 恭喜！你们什么时候**订婚**的？ | |
| * Pinyin: Gōngxǐ! Nǐmen shénme shíhou **dìnghūn** de? | |
| * English: Congratulations! When did you guys get engaged? | |
| * Analysis: A common and natural question to ask a couple who has recently announced their engagement. | |
| * **Example 3:** | |
| * 她手上戴着漂亮的**订婚**戒指。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tā shǒu shàng dài zhe piàoliang de **dìnghūn** jièzhi. | |
| * English: She is wearing a beautiful engagement ring on her hand. | |
| * Analysis: Here, **订婚** acts as an adjective modifying "ring" (`戒指 jièzhi`). `订婚戒指` is the specific term for an engagement ring. | |
| * **Example 4:** | |
| * **订婚**之后，他们就开始计划婚礼了。 | |
| * Pinyin: **Dìnghūn** zhīhòu, tāmen jiù kāishǐ jìhuà hūnlǐ le. | |
| * English: After getting engaged, they started planning the wedding. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence shows the logical progression from engagement (`订婚`) to wedding (`婚礼 hūnlǐ`). | |
| * **Example 5:** | |
| * 双方父母见面，商量了**订婚**的事。 | |
| * Pinyin: Shuāngfāng fùmǔ jiànmiàn, shāngliang le **dìnghūn** de shì. | |
| * English: Both sets of parents met to discuss the matter of the engagement. | |
| * Analysis: This highlights the crucial cultural aspect of family involvement in the engagement process. `商量 (shāngliang)` means "to discuss" or "to consult." | |
| * **Example 6:** | |
| * 他们的**订婚**宴会办得非常热闹。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tāmen de **dìnghūn** yànhuì bàn de fēicháng rènào. | |
| * English: Their engagement party was held very livelily. | |
| * Analysis: **订婚** is used as part of a compound noun, `订婚宴会 (dìnghūn yànhuì)`, meaning "engagement banquet/party." | |
| * **Example 7:** | |
| * 他还没准备好**订婚**，因为他觉得压力很大。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tā hái méi zhǔnbèi hǎo **dìnghūn**, yīnwèi tā juéde yālì hěn dà. | |
| * English: He isn't ready to get engaged yet because he feels a lot of pressure. | |
| * Analysis: This shows that **订婚** is viewed as a serious commitment that comes with pressure (`压力 yālì`). | |
| * **Example 8:** | |
| * 虽然他求婚成功了，但他们还没有正式**订婚**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Suīrán tā qiúhūn chénggōng le, dàn tāmen hái méiyǒu zhèngshì **dìnghūn**. | |
| * English: Although his proposal was successful, they haven't formally gotten engaged yet. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence clearly distinguishes between proposing (`求婚 qiúhūn`) and a formal engagement (`订婚`). The formal engagement might involve a family meeting or ceremony. | |
| * **Example 9:** | |
| * 这对新人去年**订婚**，今年五月结婚。 | |
| * Pinyin: Zhè duì xīnrén qùnián **dìnghūn**, jīnnián wǔ yuè jiéhūn. | |
| * English: This newlywed couple got engaged last year and married this May. | |
| * Analysis: `新人 (xīnrén)` can mean "newlyweds" or a couple about to be married. This example clearly separates the timeline of engagement and marriage (`结婚 jiéhūn`). | |
| * **Example 10:** | |
| * 取消**订婚**对两个家庭都是一个沉重的打击。 | |
| * Pinyin: Qǔxiāo **dìnghūn** duì liǎng ge jiātíng dōu shì yí ge chénzhòng de dǎjī. | |
| * English: Canceling the engagement was a heavy blow to both families. | |
| * Analysis: Shows the seriousness of breaking an engagement, emphasizing the impact on the families, not just the couple. `取消 (qǔxiāo)` means "to cancel." | |
| ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== | |
| The most common mistake for learners is confusing **订婚 (dìnghūn)** with similar-sounding concepts. | |
| * **`订婚 (dìnghūn)` vs. `结婚 (jiéhūn)` - Engagement vs. Marriage** | |
| * This is the most critical distinction. **订婚** is the *promise* to marry. `结婚 (jiéhūn)` is the *act* of legally marrying. You **订婚** first, then you `结婚`. | |
| * **Incorrect:** 我們昨天**结婚**了，他给了我一个戒指。(We got **married** yesterday, he gave me a ring.) -> This is wrong if you only mean you got engaged. | |
| * **Correct:** 我們昨天**订婚**了，他给了我一个戒指。(We got **engaged** yesterday, he gave me a ring.) | |
| * **`订婚 (dìnghūn)` vs. `求婚 (qiúhūn)` - Engagement vs. Proposal** | |
| * `求婚 (qiúhūn)` is the action of *asking* someone to marry you (the proposal). **订婚 (dìnghūn)** is the resulting state or the formal agreement of being engaged. | |
| * A man `求婚` to his girlfriend. If she says yes, they are now **订婚** (engaged). They might later have a `订婚宴` (engagement party) to formalize it with family. | |
| * You can't say "我昨天订婚她了" (I engaged her yesterday). You would say "我昨天向她求婚了" (I proposed to her yesterday), and as a result, "我们订婚了" (We are engaged). | |
| ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== | |
| * [[求婚]] (qiúhūn) - To propose marriage. The action that often leads to being **订婚**. | |
| * [[结婚]] (jiéhūn) - To get married; marriage. The ultimate goal of a **订婚**. | |
| * [[未婚夫]] (wèihūnfū) - Fiancé. The status of the man after **订婚**. (Literally "not yet married husband"). | |
| * [[未婚妻]] (wèihūnqī) - Fiancée. The status of the woman after **订婚**. (Literally "not yet married wife"). | |
| * [[婚约]] (hūnyuē) - A marriage contract or engagement agreement. **订婚** establishes a **婚约**. | |
| * [[聘礼]] (pìnlǐ) - Betrothal gift; bride price. A traditional gift from the groom's family to the bride's, often discussed during the **订婚** process. | |
| * [[订婚宴]] (dìnghūn yàn) - Engagement banquet/party. A common way to celebrate and formalize a **订婚**. | |
| * [[婚礼]] (hūnlǐ) - Wedding ceremony. The event that follows the **订婚** period. | |
| * [[离婚]] (líhūn) - To divorce. The legal dissolution of a marriage, the opposite of getting married. | |