hoàn hôn
Definition
- Verb:
- To return the betrothal gifts / to cancel an engagement: The primary meaning of "hoàn hôn" refers to the formal act of returning betrothal gifts or dowry, thereby officially canceling a marriage agreement or engagement. This is a traditional custom.
- To divorce (archaic/formal): In some classical or formal contexts, it can refer to the dissolution of a marriage, often implying the wife is sent back to her family.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Hai gia đình đã quyết định hoàn hôn vì không thể giải quyết mâu thuẫn. (The two families decided to cancel the engagement because they could not resolve the conflict.)
- Theo phong tục xưa, nếu nhà trai hủy hôn thì phải hoàn hôn. (According to old customs, if the groom's family breaks off the engagement, they must return the betrothal gifts.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is deeply rooted in traditional Vietnamese marriage customs and is less common in everyday modern speech, often found in historical, legal, or formal discussions about marriage arrangements.
Variants and Related Words
- Hủy hôn (v): to break off an engagement. This focuses on the act of cancellation, while "hoàn hôn" emphasizes the return of gifts as part of that process.
- Họ đã hủy hôn trước lễ cưới một tuần. (They called off the engagement one week before the wedding.)
Synonyms
- To break off an engagement: to terminate a formal agreement to marry.
- To return the dowry: to give back the property or gifts brought by a bride to her husband or given by the groom's family.
Related Idioms
- While "hoàn hôn" itself is not typically part of a common idiom, the concept is central to traditional phrases about broken engagements, such as the implied consequence in "" (to betroth and then break it off), which involves reciprocity and return.