How to Write 婚 (hūn) — Meaning “Marriage; to marry”

Picture a woman (女) getting married at dusk (昏), with the setting sun behind her. This scene links the two components and reminds you that weddings in old China took place at twilight.

Write the left radical 女 narrow and tall, then the right part 昏 wider. Be careful with 昏: it starts with 氏 (four strokes) and ends with 日 (four strokes), not 曰; beginners often make this mistake. The total stroke count is eleven.

婚 means 'marriage' and combines 女 with 昏. 姘 (pīn) uses 女 and 并 and refers to an informal, illicit cohabitation. 姚 (yáo) is a surname and combines 女 with 兆. The right components are completely different in both meaning and writing.

婚 appears in common words like 结婚 (to get married) and 婚礼 (wedding ceremony). In Chinese culture, marriage is a major life event, and 婚 carries formal and respectful connotations, often used in official documents and celebrations.

Common words containing 婚 include: 结婚 (jié hūn) — To get married.; 婚礼 (hūn lǐ) — Wedding ceremony; 订婚 (dìng hūn) — to get engaged.