订婚

• Pinyin: dìng hūn
• Hanzi breakdown: 订 = 讠+ 丁 (to agree, commit formally); 婚 = 女 + 昏 (marriage — originally 'at dusk', the traditional time for weddings)

Meaning

To become engaged; to betroth. The formal agreement between two people — and often their families — to marry.

Implies a formal, publicly acknowledged engagement often involving a ceremony, ring exchange, or family gathering. More ceremonial than simply agreeing to marry. In traditional contexts, the families of both parties play a central role in the 订婚 process.

Examples

1. 两人订婚后，双方家长立即开始筹备婚礼的各项事宜。 After they got engaged, both families immediately began preparing all the details for the wedding.
2. 他在浪漫的烛光晚餐中郑重求婚，两人当晚正式订婚。 He proposed solemnly over a romantic candlelit dinner, and they officially got engaged that night.
3. 订婚仪式在亲友的共同见证下圆满举行，现场气氛温馨热烈。 The engagement ceremony was successfully held with family and friends as witnesses, and the atmosphere was warm and joyful.

Usage Guide

Context: relationships, family, social events, traditions

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 他们订婚的消息传开后，亲朋好友纷纷送来祝福。(After news of their engagement spread, relatives and friends sent their congratulations one after another.)
• 订婚戒指是西方传统，但如今在中国年轻人中也日渐流行。(Engagement rings are a Western tradition, but they are becoming increasingly popular among young Chinese people today.)

Don't Say

• 他们结婚订婚了 — use 他们订婚了 or 他们结婚了 separately; 订婚 (engaged) and 结婚 (married) are distinct stages and should not be combined

Origin & History

订 (agree/commit) + 婚 (marriage)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal