求婚

• Pinyin: qiú hūn
• Hanzi breakdown: 求 = 求 (seek/request; pictographic); 婚 = 女 + 昏 (marriage; historically celebrated at dusk)

Meaning

To propose marriage; to formally ask someone to marry you. Also used as a noun phrase for the act of a marriage proposal.

向某人求婚 (propose to someone) is the standard collocation — 求婚 is used intransitively with 向. 求婚仪式 (proposal ceremony), 求婚戒指 (engagement ring). Western-style romantic proposals in public settings have grown popular in China. Can also refer to traditional family-mediated marriage negotiation in historical contexts.

Examples

1. 他在烛光晚餐后单膝跪地，捧出精心挑选的钻戒，向深爱三年的女友深情求婚。 After a candlelit dinner, he got down on one knee, took out a carefully chosen diamond ring, and proposed to his girlfriend of three years with heartfelt emotion.
2. 她精心策划的求婚视频在社交媒体上迅速走红，感动了数百万网友纷纷点赞祝福。 The proposal video she carefully planned went viral on social media, moving millions of people to like and share their blessings.
3. 两人在众多亲友的见证下完成了求婚仪式，现场掌声与欢笑声此起彼伏、经久不散。 With many friends and relatives as witnesses, they completed the proposal ceremony, and the applause and laughter kept coming and didn’t fade for a long time.

Usage Guide

Context: romance, relationships, social media, culture

Tone: romantic

Do Say

• 他为这次求婚精心筹备了整整三个月，最终在她最爱的海边完成了这个终身难忘的浪漫时刻。(He spent a full three months meticulously planning this proposal and finally completed this unforgettable romantic moment at her favourite seaside.)
• 现代年轻人的求婚方式越来越多样，从空中气球到闪现求婚活动，创意无限、令人动容。(Modern young people's proposal styles are becoming increasingly diverse, from hot-air balloons to flash mob proposals — endlessly creative and deeply touching.)

Don't Say

• 他求婚了她 — the correct collocation is 向她求婚; 求婚 is intransitive in standard usage and always requires the preposition 向 before the recipient

Origin & History

求 (seek/request) + 婚 (marriage) — to seek marriage; to formally request marriage

Cultural Context

Generation: Younger generations

Social background: Universal