结拜 (jiē) — to become sworn brothers or sisters (through a ritual)
Definition
A cultural ritual in which unrelated people formally become sworn siblings, treating each other as family with lifelong loyalty. The bond is stronger and more binding than ordinary friendship (朋友).
verb
to become sworn brothers or sisters (through a ritual)
Examples
- 结拜。Tā men sān gè rén zài miào lǐ jiē chéng le xiōng dì.The three of them became sworn brothers in the temple.
- 结拜。Wǒ hé tā jiē yǐ jīng yǒu shí nián le.He and I have been sworn siblings for ten years already.
- 结拜。Gǔ dài hěn duō rén tōng guò jiē lái jiàn lì shēn hòu de guān xì.In ancient times, many people established deep bonds through sworn brotherhood.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.