新婚 (xīn hūn) — newly married (attributive only); newlywed

Definition

Adjective used only as an attributive modifier before a noun (e.g. 新婚夫妇, 新婚生活) — not a standalone predicate. Means 'newly married'.

adjective

newly married (attributive only)newlywed

Examples

新婚。
Zhè duì xīn hūn fū fù zhèng zài jì huà mì yuè lǚ xíng.
This newlywed couple is planning their honeymoon trip.
新婚，。
xīn hūn Shēng huó suī rán tián mì, dàn yě xū yào màn màn shì yìng.
Newlywed life, though sweet, also needs gradual adaptation.
新婚。
Péng you sòng le tā men yí fèn jīng zhì de xīn hūn lǐ wù.
A friend gave them a delicate wedding gift.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

新xīnnew

婚hūnmarriage

“新” indicates newness and “婚” relates to marriage, together describing a newly married couple or recent marriage.

Characters in this word

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

斤斤jīn

Sound part声符shēngfú

辛

辛xīn新xīn

Same sound today

The shape originally paired 斤, for chopping wood, with 辛 for sound. It was borrowed for its sound to write 新, so the chopping-wood parts are unrelated to 'new'.

Open 新 →

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

女昏婚

Meaning part形符xíngfú

女女nǚ

Sound part声符shēngfú

昏

昏hūn婚hūn

Same sound today

婚 uses 女 (woman) for the meaning and 昏 for the sound hūn.

Open 婚 →

Appears in