---
title: "Chinese Wedding Traditions and Words: From 彩礼 and 迎亲 to 敬茶 and 闹洞房, With Pinyin"
description: "Chinese wedding traditions by their words: 52 words from 提亲, 彩礼 and 黄道吉日 to 迎亲, 敬茶, 婚宴 and 闹洞房, what the couple wears and what goes in the 红包, each with pinyin, its meaning and sound."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-wedding-words"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

Free · 52 words

# Chinese wedding words and traditions

[Print as flashcards](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-flashcards?level=mine&words=%E5%A9%9A%E7%A4%BC%20%E7%BB%93%E5%A9%9A%20%E6%96%B0%E9%83%8E%20%E6%96%B0%E5%A8%98%20%E6%96%B0%E4%BA%BA%20%E4%BC%B4%E9%83%8E%20%E4%BC%B4%E5%A8%98%20%E5%8F%B8%E4%BB%AA%20%E8%AF%81%E5%A9%9A%E4%BA%BA%20%E5%A9%9A%E5%AE%B4%20%E5%96%9C%E9%85%92%20%E6%95%AC%E9%85%92%20%E6%B1%82%E5%A9%9A%20%E6%8F%90%E4%BA%B2%20%E8%AE%A2%E5%A9%9A%20%E5%BD%A9%E7%A4%BC%20%E8%81%98%E7%A4%BC%20%E5%AB%81%E5%A6%86%20%E9%BB%84%E9%81%93%E5%90%89%E6%97%A5%20%E5%96%9C%E5%B8%96%20%E9%A2%86%E8%AF%81%20%E7%BB%93%E5%A9%9A%E8%AF%81%20%E5%AA%92%E4%BA%BA%20%E7%BA%A2%E5%A8%98%20%E8%BF%8E%E4%BA%B2%20%E8%8A%B1%E8%BD%BF%20%E6%8B%9C%E5%A0%82%20%E6%8B%9C%E5%A4%A9%E5%9C%B0%20%E6%95%AC%E8%8C%B6%20%E6%94%B9%E5%8F%A3%20%E9%97%B9%E6%B4%9E%E6%88%BF%20%E6%B4%9E%E6%88%BF%20%E5%9B%9E%E9%97%A8%20%E5%A9%9A%E7%BA%B1%20%E6%97%97%E8%A2%8D%20%E5%87%A4%E5%86%A0%E9%9C%9E%E5%B8%94%20%E7%BA%A2%E7%9B%96%E5%A4%B4%20%E5%A9%9A%E6%88%92%20%E5%8F%8C%E5%96%9C%20%E7%BA%A2%E5%8C%85%20%E7%A4%BC%E9%87%91%20%E4%BB%BD%E5%AD%90%E9%92%B1%20%E5%96%9C%E7%B3%96%20%E5%AB%81%20%E5%A8%B6%20%E8%80%81%E5%85%AC%20%E8%80%81%E5%A9%86%20%E5%85%AC%E5%A9%86%20%E5%B2%B3%E7%88%B6%E6%AF%8D%20%E6%96%B0%E5%A9%9A%20%E8%9C%9C%E6%9C%88%20%E5%A9%9A%E6%88%BF)

Speed

## The wedding

hūn婚lǐ礼

wedding; wedding ceremony

jié结hūn婚

to marry; to get married

xīn新láng郎

bridegroom

xīn新niáng娘

bride

xīn新rén人

newlyweds; bride and groom

bàn伴láng郎

best man; groomsman

bàn伴niáng娘

bridesmaid

sī司yí仪

master of ceremonies; MC

zhèng证hūn婚rén人

wedding officiant; witness at a wedding

hūn婚yàn宴

wedding banquet

xǐ喜jiǔ酒

wedding feast; wedding banquet

jìng敬jiǔ酒

to propose a toast; to toast

## Before the day

qiú求hūn婚

to propose (marriage)

tí提qīn亲

to propose a marriage

dìng订hūn婚

to get engaged

cǎi彩lǐ礼

bride price; betrothal gifts

pìn聘lǐ礼

betrothal gifts (from the groom's family)

jià嫁zhuang妆

dowry

huáng黄dào道jí吉rì日

auspicious day

xǐ喜tiě帖

wedding invitation

lǐng领zhèng证

to get a marriage license; to register a marriage

jié结hūn婚zhèng证

marriage certificate

méi媒rén人

matchmaker; go-between

hóng红niáng娘

matchmaker

## On the day

yíng迎qīn亲

to fetch the bride (from her home for the wedding)

huā花jiào轿

bridal sedan chair

bài拜táng堂

to perform the wedding bow (traditional marriage ceremony)

bài拜tiān天dì地

to bow to heaven and earth (in a traditional wedding)

jìng敬chá茶

to serve tea (respectfully)

gǎi改kǒu口

to start calling someone by a new title (e.g. in-laws after marriage)

nào闹dòng洞fáng房

to tease newlyweds on their wedding night

dòng洞fáng房

bridal chamber

huí回mén门

bride's first visit to her parents after the wedding

## What the couple wears

hūn婚shā纱

wedding dress

qí旗páo袍

qipao; cheongsam

fèng凤guān冠xiá霞pèi帔

phoenix crown and embroidered cape (traditional bridal attire)

hóng红gài盖tou头

red bridal veil (covering the bride's head)

hūn婚jiè戒

wedding ring

## Red things and gifts

shuāng双xǐ喜

double happiness

hóng红bāo包

red envelope (gift of money)

lǐ礼jīn金

cash gift; monetary gift

fèn份zi子qián钱

gift money (at weddings, etc.)

xǐ喜táng糖

wedding candy

## Married life

jià嫁

(of a woman) to marry

qǔ娶

to marry (a woman); to take a wife

lǎo老gōng公

husband

lǎo老po婆

wife

gōng公pó婆

husband's parents; parents-in-law

yuè岳fù父mǔ母

parents-in-law (wife's parents)

xīn新hūn婚

newly married; newlywed

mì蜜yuè月

honeymoon

hūn婚fáng房

marital home; newlyweds' apartment

## What are the main Chinese wedding traditions?

Many weddings still follow the old order in a shorter form. The families agree the match, 提亲 (tíqīn), and the groom’s side sends the 彩礼 (cǎilǐ), betrothal gifts; a lucky date is chosen, a 黄道吉日 (huángdào jírì). On the morning the groom fetches the bride, 迎亲 (yíngqīn), past games her friends set at the door; the couple serve tea to their parents, 敬茶 (jìngchá); then comes the banquet, 婚宴 (hūnyàn), where they toast every table, 敬酒 (jìngjiǔ).

## Why is everything red at a Chinese wedding?

Red is the colour of luck and joy. Doors and windows carry 囍 (xǐ), double happiness, two 喜 side by side, called 双喜 (shuāngxǐ). Many brides wear a red 旗袍 (qípáo) or a red embroidered gown for the tea ceremony and a white 婚纱 (hūnshā) for the photos and banquet.

## What is the difference between 彩礼 and 嫁妆?

彩礼 (cǎilǐ) are the betrothal gifts, often money, from the groom’s family to the bride’s; 嫁妆 (jiàzhuang) is the dowry the bride brings to the marriage. How much each is differs a great deal by region and family.

## How much money goes in a Chinese wedding red envelope?

The gift is money in a 红包 (hóngbāo), called 份子钱 (fènziqián) or 礼金 (lǐjīn). Give an even amount and avoid 4, which sounds like 死, death; how much depends on how close you are and where the wedding is. Our wedding wishes page has what to write and say with it.

## How do you say marry in Chinese?

结婚 (jiéhūn) is to get married, for anyone: 我们结婚了, we got married. A woman 嫁 (jià), marries into a family: 她嫁给了他. A man 娶 (qǔ), takes a wife: 他娶了她.

## Can’t hear it?

Play uses your device’s Mandarin voice. Edge, Chrome and Safari have one; a browser with none plays each character in our recorded voice instead.

## More for a Chinese wedding

- [Chinese wedding wishes and blessings](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-phrases/wedding)
- [What to say at a Chinese tea ceremony](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-phrases/tea-ceremony)
- [Traditional Chinese clothing names](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-clothing-names)
- [Chinese family members](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-family-members)

Words, pinyin and meanings from our own dictionary; customs differ by region and family.