娶 (qǔ) - To take a wife & to marry (a woman)

娶Tone 3

qǔ ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

情仁

娶 · qǔ

To take a wife;

to marry (a woman);

to wed.

To take a wifeto marry (a woman)to wed.

Usage highlights

To marry a wifeTo take a daughterTo marry and start a familyWedding and funeralTo take as wifeMarriage

Synonyms

  • 婚— to marry; marriage
  • 娶亲— to get married (specifically for the groom)
  • 迎娶— to marry; to welcome a bride

Antonyms

  • 嫁— to marry (for a woman); to be married off
  • 离— to divorce
  • 休— to divorce (historically, husband divorcing wife)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He will marry next month (他下个月要娶妻).
  • The prince married a commoner (王子娶了一个平民).
  • In ancient times, men could take multiple wives (古时男子可娶多房).
  • It is expensive to get married nowadays (如今娶媳妇很贵).

Collocations

  • To marry a wife(娶妻)
  • To take a daughter-in-law(娶媳妇)
  • To marry and start a family(娶亲)
  • Wedding and funeral(婚娶)
  • To take as wife(迎娶)
  • Marriage(嫁娶)

Idioms

  • To take a wife and take official position(娶妻仕宦)
  • To take a wife for her virtue, not for her looks(娶妻娶德不娶色)
  • Marrying a daughter out and taking a wife in(嫁出娶进)
  • Marrying and giving in marriage(婚丧嫁娶)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese culture, 娶 specifically refers to the man's action in marriage, contrasting with 嫁 which means 'to marry (for a woman)' or 'to be married off'.
  • The character combines 取 (to take) and 女 (woman), literally meaning 'to take a woman'.
  • Historically reflected patriarchal family structures where the man's family 'takes in' a bride.

FAQ