consummate marriage (of child bride); begin married life
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesverb
to consummate a marriage; to begin married life (specifically of a child bride and her husband)
archaicArchaic term referring to the traditional practice where a child bride (童养媳), upon coming of age, formally begins sexual relations with her husband. This act marked the transition from a nominal engagement to a full marital relationship. The term is historical and associated with pre-modern Chinese marriage customs.
Tā他
men们
zhí直
dào到
shí十
liù六
suì岁
cái才
yuán圆
fáng房
。
They did not consummate their marriage until they were sixteen.
Àn按
zhào照
jiù旧
sú俗
，
tóng童
yǎng养
xí媳
zhǎng长
dà大
hòu后
cái才
yǔ与
zhàng丈
fu夫
yuán圆
fáng房
。
According to old customs, a child bride would only consummate her marriage with her husband after she grew up.
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Yuán圆
fáng房
zhī之
hòu后
，
tā她
cái才
zhēn真
zhèng正
chéng成
wéi为
le了
zhè这
ge个
jiā家
tíng庭
de的
nǚ女
zhǔ主
rén人
。
Only after consummating the marriage did she truly become the matriarch of the family.