娶 qǔ to marry
to marry; to take a wife
How to remember 娶: 取 acquire + 女 woman = to marry. When the shy farmer finally manages to acquire his own land, the woman he loves teases that he is ready to marry.
Component breakdown
娶 = 取 acquire + 女 woman
- 取 acquire
- 耳 ear
- 又 again
- 女 woman
When the shy farmer finally manages to acquire his own land, the woman he loves teases that he is ready to marry.
How it is used
- For a man to take a wife / marry (a woman in) - 娶老婆 (qǔ lǎopo) take a wife, 娶妻 (qǔ qī) marry a wife.
- Crucially gendered and directional: 娶 = a man marries a woman IN, whereas 嫁 (jià) = a woman marries OUT to a man. 男大当婚 (nán dà dāng hūn)... 娶 is the groom's side.