伉俪 (kàng lì) — married couple (formal, literary)

Definition

A formal, literary word for a 'married couple,' almost always used in writing or wedding/anniversary contexts. No direct curriculum synonyms to contrast.

noun
married couple (formal, literary)

Examples

  • 伉俪，。
    Zhù nǐ men kàng lì xìng fú, bái tóu xié lǎo.
    Wishing you a happy married life and a long-lasting union.
  • 伉俪。
    Zhè duì kàng lì xié shǒu zǒu guò le wǔ shí nián fēng yǔ.
    This couple has walked through fifty years of ups and downs hand in hand.
  • 撰伉俪。
    Tā zhuàn wén chēng zàn zhè duì kàng lì de ēn ài yǔ mò qì.
    He wrote an article praising the love and understanding of this married couple.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

伉kàngmatch
俪lìpair

The 伉 (match) and 俪 (pair) together refer to a married couple.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 儷; 俪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
麗
麗lí儷lì
Same sound today

The traditional form 儷 has 人 for person and 麗 for the sound; the simplified 俪 is a later shorthand, and its right side is not the old sound part.

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