Japanese word

婚約

Pronunciation

Romajikon'yaku

Meaning

  • nounengagement

Example

姉は大学の友達と婚約しました。ane wa dai gaku no tomo dachi to kon yaku shi ma shi ta

My older sister got engaged to her college friend.

Illustration for 婚約 (engagement)

More examples

二人は来月、家族に婚約を知らせる予定です。futa ri wa rai getsu ka zoku ni kon yaku o shi ra se ru yo tei de su

The two plan to tell their families about their engagement next month.

Core concept

It describes a committed promise to marry that comes before the wedding.

Common phrases

  • 婚約するkon yaku su ru

    get engaged

  • 婚約を発表するkon yaku o hap pyō su ru

    announce an engagement

  • 婚約を解消するkon yaku o kai shō su ru

    break off an engagement

Definition in Japanese

結婚を約束し、将来夫婦になることを決めること。kek kon o yaku soku shi shō rai fū fu ni na ru ko to o ki me ru ko to

Word origin

婚 (kon, "marriage") and 約 (yaku, "promise") combine in the Sino-Japanese compound 婚約 (kon'yaku).

Usage tips

  • In English, engagement can also mean a scheduled meeting or a military action, but 婚約 (kon'yaku) refers specifically to a promise to marry.

Related words

Word lists with this word