Definition

1. Verb (archaic): To go to the bride's house and escort her to the bridegroom's home for the wedding ceremony. This term describes a specific ritual in traditional Vietnamese marriage customs.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • The groom's family will nghênh hôn at noon. (Gia đình nhà trai sẽ đi nghênh hôn vào buổi trưa.)
  • According to old customs, the nghênh hôn procession must be very solemn. (Theo phong tục xưa, đoàn đi nghênh hôn phải rất trang trọng.)

Advanced Usage

• The term nghênh hôn is used almost exclusively in the context of describing traditional wedding rituals. It is an intransitive verb, often used with subjects like "nhà trai" (the groom's family) or "chú rể" (the groom).
• It refers to the entire ceremonial act of fetching the bride, not just the arrival at her house.

Variants and Related Words

• Nghinh hôn: An alternate, less common spelling with the same meaning.
• Đón dâu: The modern, more commonly used term for "to fetch the bride." While nghênh hôn is archaic and formal, đón dâu is standard in contemporary usage.
• Lễ nghênh hôn: The "bride-fetching ceremony," using the term as a noun phrase.

Synonyms

• Đón dâu: To fetch the bride (modern equivalent).
• Rước dâu: To escort the bride (emphasizing the procession).

Notes on Meaning

• This word is marked as archaic (từ cũ). It is found in historical texts, descriptions of old customs, or used deliberately for a classical tone. In modern conversation and writing, đón dâu is universally preferred.
• The core meaning is specifically "to go and bring the bride to the groom's house for the wedding," encapsulating a key step in the traditional marriage process.

1. (từ cũ) Go to the bride's house and escort her to the bridegroom's