私奔

sībēn

verb #8,646

Meanings

1 to elope
2 to run away together secretly (to get married)

Characters

private; secret

to run; to rush

Secretly + run — to run away secretly together.

Examples

他们不顾家人反对，私奔了。

Tāmen bùgù jiārén fǎnduì, sībēn le.

They eloped despite their families' opposition.

古代私奔的女子会被看不起。

Gǔdài sībēn de nǚzǐ huì bèi kànbuqǐ.

In ancient times, women who eloped were looked down upon.

她和男朋友私奔到了另一个城市。

Tā hé nánpéngyou sībēn dào le lìng yī gè chéngshì.

She eloped with her boyfriend to another city.

Tips

culture

In traditional Chinese society, marriage required parental approval and a matchmaker. 私奔 was considered scandalous and a violation of filial piety. The famous tale of 卓文君 (Zhuō Wénjūn) eloping with 司马相如 (Sīmǎ Xiāngrú) is one of China's most celebrated love stories.

Stroke Order

私 sī

奔 bēn