Intermediate - Chinese Wedding Customs (C0516)

我刚收到一张结婚请帖。
wǒ gāng shōudào yī zhāng jiéhūn qǐngtiě 。
I just received a wedding invitation.

是吗？你在中国喝过喜酒吗？
shì ma ？nǐ zài Zhōngguó hē guo xǐjiǔ ma ？
Really? Have you attended a wedding reception in China before?

没有。所以我特别兴奋。这里的喜酒是什么样子的？
méiyǒu 。suǒyǐ wǒ tèbié xīngfèn 。zhèlǐ de xǐjiǔ shì shénme yàngzi de ？
No, I haven't, so I'm especially excited. What are wedding receptions in China like?

首先，新郎、新娘会站在饭店门口迎接客人。
shǒuxiān ，xīnláng 、xīnniáng huì zhànzài fàndiàn ménkǒu yíngjiē kèren 。
First the groom and the bride will stand at the entrance of the restaurant to receive their guests.

啊？他们是那天的男女主角。怎么能站在门口呢？
á ？tāmen shì nàtiān de nánnǚ zhǔjué 。zěnme néng zhànzài ménkǒu ne ？
Huh? They have the lead role that day. How can they stand at the entrance?

这你就不懂了。中国人觉得客人来喝喜酒是给你面子，所以新人一定要在门口招呼客人。
zhè nǐ jiù bù dǒng le 。zhōngguórén juéde kèren lái hē xǐjiǔ shì gěi nǐ miànzi ，suǒyǐ xīnrén yīdìng yào zài ménkǒu zhāohu kèren 。
You don't understand. Chinese people feel that the guest coming to attend their wedding reception gives them face. So the newlyweds definitely have to greet their guests at the door.

哦，是这样。怪不得新郎新娘要给每一桌敬酒。那要喝多少啊？
ō ，shì zhèyàng 。guàibude xīnláng xīnniáng yào gěi měi yī zhuō jìngjiǔ 。nà yào hē duōshǎo a ？
Oh, that's why. No wonder the groom and bride have to propose a toast at each table. If it's like that, how much do they have to drink?

这主要是伴郎、伴娘的任务。不过现在客人也不太会逼着他们喝。
zhè zhǔyào shì bànláng 、bànniáng de rènwu 。bùguò xiànzài kèren yě bùtài huì bī zhe tāmen hē 。
That's mainly the job of the best man and bridesmaid. But nowadays the guests won't really force them to drink.

是啊。婚礼应该高高兴兴，喝醉了多难受。哎，红包要包多少？
shì a 。hūnlǐ yīnggāi gāogāoxìngxìng ，hēzuì le duō nánshòu 。āi ，hóngbāo yào bāo duōshǎo ？
Yeah. The wedding should be joyful, getting drunk is really unpleasant. Hey, how much money should we give in the red envelope?

那要看你和新郎新娘的关系。不过三五百一定要的。
nà yào kàn nǐ hé xīnláng xīnniáng de guānxi 。bùguò sānwǔ bǎi yīdìng yào de 。
That depends on your relationship to the groom and bride. But at least three to five hundred.

这么多？
zhème duō ？
That much?

是啊。不过在闹洞房的时候你可以借机整整他们。
shì a 。bùguò zài nào dòngfáng de shíhou nǐ kěyǐ jièjī zhěngzheng tāmen 。
Yeah. But when they are hazing the groom and bride you can take the opportunity to make them suffer.

好主意。哎，我该怎样祝贺他们？
hǎo zhǔyi 。āi ，wǒ gāi zěnyàng zhùhè tāmen ？
Good plan. Hey, how should I congratulate them?

白头偕老。就是祝他们相爱到老的意思。
báitóuxiélǎo 。jiùshì zhù tāmen xiāng ài dào lǎo de yìsi 。
"Live to a ripe old age in marital bliss." It means you wish them love until they are old.

白头偕老, 白头偕老。 记住了。
báitóuxiélǎo , báitóuxiélǎo 。jìzhu le 。
"Live to a ripe old age in marital bliss. Live to a ripe old age in marital bliss." I've got it.

Vocabulary

请帖	qǐngtiě	written invitation
喜酒	xǐjiǔ	wedding reception; wedding feast
面子	miànzi	face
敬酒	jìngjiǔ	to propose a toast
逼	bī	to force
闹洞房	nào dòngfáng	to haze newlyweds
借机	jièjī	to seize the opportunity
整	zhěng	to cause trouble for someone; to tease; to make fun of
白头偕老	báitóuxiélǎo	live to a ripe old age in marital bliss
喜糖	xǐtáng	sweets presented at a wedding
嫁妆	jiàzhuang	dowry
礼金	lǐjīn	cash gift
早生贵子	zǎoshēngguìzǐ	give birth to a son soon
永结同心	yǒngjiétóngxīn	always be of one mind
百年好合	bǎiniánhǎohé	a long-lasting harmonious union
度蜜月	dù mìyuè	to go on a honeymoon