The Meaning of kekkon [結婚] In Japanese

結婚
けっこん
Romaji: kekkon N4

What does 結婚 mean?

Translation and Meaning

tie, marry, marriage

Definition

結婚 (kekkon) means marriage or the act of marrying. It refers to the socially and legally recognized union between two people—covering the ceremony, the legal registration, and the ongoing spousal relationship—and is the common Japanese term used to speak about entering, being in, or celebrating a marital relationship.

Type

noun; verbal noun that forms a suru-verb (名詞・サ変動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • As an event or process distinct from a ceremony: the act of getting married or the wedding period.
  • Legal status: the registered condition of being married as recorded in official documents.
  • Married life: the everyday shared life and responsibilities after marriage, often discussed in social and economic contexts.
  • Figurative use: describes close unions between entities (e.g., business partnerships) metaphorically described as a “marriage” of ideas or resources.

Etymology

結婚 is a Sino-Japanese jukugo formed from the on‑readings of its characters; the compound reflects adoption from Classical Chinese vocabulary into Japanese pronunciation, with phonological adjustment producing the modern reading kekkon.

Origin

Marriage as a social institution in Japan has deep roots in clan and family alliances from ancient times and evolved through Heian court practices and Edo-period arranged unions; the modern legal concept of marriage in Japan was standardized during the Meiji era and codified in the Civil Code, with official recognition tied to the family register system 戸籍 (koseki).

Composition

  • 結 (ketsu / musubu) — to tie, bind, or join.
  • 婚 (kon) — marriage, wedding, or bride/groom-related concept.
  • Together the characters express the idea of “binding/tying in marriage,” forming the compound that denotes marriage and the act of marrying.

Usage

Used across formal and casual speech to refer to marrying or being married; functions as a noun and forms a verbal phrase with する, written as 結婚する (kekkon suru), appears in legal, social, and everyday contexts such as announcements, paperwork, media reporting, and in compounds referring to ceremonies or partners (for example 結婚式 (kekkonshiki) and 結婚相手).
💡 Tips
Remember “tie the knot”: 結 evokes tying or binding and 婚 relates to marriage—imagine tying a knot to recall kekkon.

Variations

  • 婚姻 (kon’in) — legal marriage, formal/legal term
  • 入籍 (nyuuseki) — registering a marriage with the family register
  • 結婚生活 (kekkon seikatsu) — married life
  • 同棲 (dousei) — cohabitation (not legally married)
  • 離婚 (rikon) — divorce (antonym)

Example Phrases

  • 結婚後、姓をどうするか妻と話した。
    Kekkon go, sei wo dou suru ka tsuma to hanashita.
    After marriage, I talked with my wife about what to do with my surname.
    Lista:
    • 結婚後 (kekkon go) – after marriage
    • 姓を (sei wo) – surname (object marker)
    • どうするか (dou suru ka) – what to do
    • 妻と (tsuma to) – with wife
    • 話した (hanashita) – talked
    In this sentence, 「姓」 means family name; it is the object of the verb phrase どうするか.
結婚