洞房花烛 (dòng fáng huā zhú) — nuptial chamber; wedding night (as a poetic or… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literary idiom for the wedding night / nuptial chamber, now mostly seen in classical poetry or very formal congratulatory phrases like 洞房花烛之喜. Not used in everyday speech.

idiom

nuptial chamberwedding night (as a poetic or formal set phrase)

Examples

，洞房花烛。
Tā men zhōng yú jié shù le liàn ài cháng pǎo, yíng lái le dòng fáng huā zhú zhī yè.
They finally ended their long-distance relationship and welcomed their wedding night.
洞房花烛。
Gǔ shī cí zhōng cháng yòng dòng fáng huā zhú lái xíng róng xīn hūn de xìng fú chǎng jǐng.
Ancient poetry often uses the phrase 'cave room and flower candles' to describe the blissful scene of a newlywed couple.
，洞房花烛。
Hūn lǐ jié shù hòu, bīn kè men zhù fú xīn rén dòng fáng huā zhú zhī xǐ.
After the wedding, the guests congratulated the couple on the joy of their nuptial chamber.

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.

洞房bridal chamber

洞dòngdeep房fángroom

偏正Modifier + head

花烛wedding candles

花huādecorated烛zhúcandle

偏正Modifier + head

洞房 is the bridal chamber and 花烛 the wedding candles; together they picture the wedding night.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

水水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

同

同tóng洞dòng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

洞 combines 水 (water) with 同, which gives the sound tóng.

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú

戶戶hùdoor

Sound part声符shēngfú

方

方fāng房fáng

Same sound today

房 pairs 戶 (door) with 方 (fāng) as a sound part; 方 can also fit 'side,' as in a side room beside the main room.

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

艹化花

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

化

Same sound today

花 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 化, which gives the sound.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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