How it changed
The story you’ll hear
Woman (女) + dusk (昏). In ancient China, marriages were arranged by “snatching the bride at sunset” — a practice called 昏礼. The character literally encodes the time of day kidnappings happened. The word for dusk (昏 hūn) and marriage (婚 hūn) are still homophones.
What the old dictionaries say
Checks outDusk, yes. Kidnapping, no. The old dictionary says weddings took place at dusk (昏), and 昏 also gives 婚 its sound: both are hūn. The bride-snatching story isn't in the record.
What it’s made of
meaning component: womanSee it in a story
Related characters
Read characters like this in real stories
Every one has word-level pinyin, narrated audio and tap-to-define.
- HSK 1
The Wrong Phone
Two classmates take identical phones by mistake and can’t unlock them or answer calls.
3 chapters · audio + pinyin
- HSK 2
The Book We Both Wanted
Two customers claim one childhood book; a shopkeeper gives them until six to explain why.
4 chapters · audio + pinyin
- HSK 3
No Seat in the Library
She resents a classmate who keeps saving an empty seat. Then she hears about his sick roommate.
6 chapters · audio + pinyin
- HSK 4
Sunrise on Huangshan
Four friends go to see the Huangshan sunrise and get train delays, a storm, and a bad booking.
6 chapters · audio + pinyin
- HSK 5
Dumplings or Tangyuan
Her first winter solstice as a wife, and her mother-in-law has hidden the tangyuan flour.
6 chapters · audio + pinyin
- HSK 6
The Kitchen Behind the App
Illness complaints lead an inspector to twelve delivery restaurants sharing four kitchens.
6 chapters · audio + pinyin