Word
花嫁
Meaning in Englishbride
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
花嫁 means 'bride'—the woman who is about to marry or who has just become a wife, particularly in wedding contexts.
Main meanings
- central figure in a wedding ceremony, typically the female partner of the groom
- associated with bridal attire, ceremonies, and imagery used in weddings or literature
- in poetry and storytelling, it can symbolize new beginnings, beauty, and social roles surrounding marriage
How to use it
Used in formal and literary contexts, wedding journalism, and bridal fashion discussions; in casual speech, 花嫁 is common in set phrases like 花嫁衣装 and 花嫁姿, while 花嫁さん adds a familiar nuance.
Variants and close terms
- 新婦 (しんぷ) — bride; shinpu
- 花婿 (はなむこ) — groom; hanamuko
Composition
- 花: flower
- 嫁: to marry off; bride
Etymology
花嫁 is a native compound whose reading is hanayome, formed from 花 and 嫁 without significant phonetic change or borrowing from other languages.
Origin
The concept appears in classical Japanese literature and wedding culture; references surface in Heian texts and become common in later periods, shaping the term's social role.
Word class
Noun (名詞)