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结婚 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
结婚jiéhūnto marryHSK 3, v, rank #513, Medium
结婚jiéhūnto get marriedHSK 3, v, rank #513, Medium
jiéhūn(jie2hun1) T2
  1. 1to marry
  2. 2to get married
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March 24, 2026
结婚(結婚)jiéhūn(jie2hun1)

结婚 (jié hūn) means 'to marry' or 'to get married.' It is commonly used to describe the act of entering into a marital union and can refer to both the ceremony and the legal contract. This term is often used in both formal and informal contexts when discussing relationships and marriage plans.

Frequency#513DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, marriage is often viewed as a significant life milestone, marked by elaborate ceremonies that can include traditional customs, family involvement, and sometimes even matchmaking.

Memory Tip

Think of 结 (jié) as a 'tie' or 'knot,' representing the bond formed in marriage, while 婚 (hūn) sounds like 'honeymoon,' a common celebration following the wedding. Visualize tying a knot during a wedding ceremony to remember that 结婚 means 'to get married.'

Meanings of 结婚

jiéhūn(jie2hun1)
1to marry
2to get married
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About 结婚

结婚Simplified
結婚Traditional
Strokes
Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#513Frequency Rank
Measure Word
HSK 2.0L3HSK 3.0L3ElementaryTOCFLL3HSKKL2CEFRA2

Podcast: 结婚

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Podcast: 结婚

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AI Study Notes for 结婚

Quick Contrast

离婚 (líhūn) - use 结婚 when referring to the act of marrying, while 离婚 specifically means to divorce.

Memory Mnemonic

Think of 结 (jié) as a 'tie' or 'knot,' representing the bond formed in marriage, while 婚 (hūn) sounds like 'honeymoon,' a common celebration following the wedding. Visualize tying a knot during a wedding ceremony to remember that 结婚 means 'to get married.'

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 结婚 with other relationship terms like 恋爱 (liàn'ài, 'to be in love'). Remember that 结婚 specifically refers to the act of marriage. It's important to use this term in both casual conversations and formal announcements.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 3 word, 结婚 connects well with other family-related vocabulary like 家 (jiā, 'family') and 婚礼 (hūnlǐ, 'wedding'). Focus on using it in sentences about personal life and relationships to reinforce its meaning.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, marriage is often viewed as a significant life milestone, marked by elaborate ceremonies that can include traditional customs, family involvement, and sometimes even matchmaking.

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is to use 结婚 when referring to dating instead of marriage, for instance, saying '我和他结婚了' (Wǒ hé tā jié hūn le) when they are just dating. The correct phrase would be '我和他在恋爱' (Wǒ hé tā zài liàn'ài).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 结婚

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Component Characters

jiéto bear fruit
HSK 59 strokes
View full entry
hūnto marry
11 strokes
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Write 结婚

Practice writing 结婚 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 结婚

结婚 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

她下个月就要____了。

She is getting married next month.

Example Sentences for 结婚 (10)

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1
即使你想结婚想得发狂,也决不要表现出来。

jí shǐ nǐ xiǎng jié hūn xiǎng dé fā kuáng, , yě jué bù yào biǎo xiàn chū。

Even if you are desperate to get married, never let it show.
2
结婚16年后,他们已经渐渐彼此厌倦了。

jié hūn16 16 nián, hòu , tā mén yǐ jīng jiàn jiàn bǐ cǐ yàn。

After sixteen years of marriage they have grown bored with each other.
3
这张地毯是首相送的结婚礼物。

zhè zhāng dì tǎn shì shǒu xiāng sòng de jié hūn lǐ wù。

The carpet was a wedding present from the Prime Minister.
4
他俩居然结婚了——这让他非常惊讶,因为他们实在是太不一样了。

tā liǎng jū rán jié hūn le—— —— zhè ràng tā fēi cháng jīng, yà , yīn wéi tā mén shí zài shì tài bù yī。

He was surprised they had married — they had seemed so different.
5
奥拉伊奇先生通过结婚而取得在英国的永久居留权。

ào lā yī qí xiān shēng tōng guò jié hūn ér qǔ dé zài yīng guó de yǒng jiǔ jū liú quán。

Mr Olaechea has British residency by virtue of his marriage.
6
我结婚前曾独自在那儿住过。

wǒ jié hūn qián zēng dú zì zài nà ér zhù guò。

I lived there once myself, before I got married.
7
规规矩矩、结婚成家,有什么用?

guī guī jǔ jǔ、 、 jié hūn chéng, jiā , yǒu shí?

What is the point of going legit and getting married?
8
我不是那种适合结婚的人。

wǒ bù shì nà zhǒng shì hé jié hūn de rén。

I'm not the kind of person to get married.
9
我原以为我们结婚后他会改变的。

wǒ yuán yǐ wéi wǒ mén jié hūn hòu tā huì gǎi biàn de。

I thought he would change after we got married.
10
杰克不会同意贾尼斯还在上学就结婚。

jié kè bù huì tóng yì jiǎ ní sī huán zài shàng xué jiù jié hūn。

Jake would not countenance Janis's marrying while still a student.

Cultural Notes for 结婚

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, marriage is often viewed as a significant life milestone, marked by elaborate ceremonies that can include traditional customs, family involvement, and sometimes even matchmaking.

Frequently Asked Questions about 结婚

结婚 refers to the act of getting married, whereas 恋爱 describes being in love or dating without the commitment of marriage.