婚

Marriage as an institution, legal status, or familial bond. It may refer specifically to the ritual event of the wedding ceremony or, in political and aristocratic contexts, to a strategic marriage alliance between two houses.

Often serves as a neutral or collective term for union, lacking the directional specificity of 娶 (to marry a wife) or 嫁 (to give a daughter in marriage). When used as a verb, it may encompass the entire process of the union, including negotiation, contract, and ceremony.

Unlike the directional verbs 娶 and 嫁, this glyph refers to the union generally without specifying the gender of the agent or the direction of movement.

Composed of 女 (woman) and 昏 (dusk/twilight), reflecting the ancient custom of conducting wedding rites at twilight.

When paired with 約 (contract) or 禮 (rite), the focus is typically on the formalization and legality of the union. In discussions of lineage or political strategy, it should be treated as a "marriage alliance."