连理

連理
liánlǐ
noun #30,461

Meanings

  1. 1 intertwined branches (poetic image of marital union)
  2. 2 conjugal union
  3. 3 two trees that grow together as one

Examples

HSK 4
Tāmen zhōngyú jiéwéi liánlǐ.
They were finally joined in marriage.
HSK 6
Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu yī duì liánlǐ zhī, shì yǒumíng de jǐngdiǎn.
The park has a pair of intertwined branches that's a famous attraction.

Tips

culture
Comes from the image of two trees whose branches and trunks fuse together - 连理枝 ('intertwined branches') symbolizes inseparable love. Bai Juyi's 《长恨歌》 (Song of Everlasting Sorrow) immortalized the line: '在天愿作比翼鸟在地愿为连理枝' ('In the sky, may we be paired-wing birds; on earth, intertwined branches').
usage
Almost always in the wedding-blessing phrase 结为连理 ('to be joined as intertwined branches' = to marry) or the bouquet term 连理枝. Literary, romantic register.

Stroke Order

lián