Key Facts
- Hangul: 결혼식; Revised Romanization: gyeolhonsik
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 結婚式 (結 tie + 婚 marry + 式 ceremony)
- Register: Neutral; the ceremony itself, while 결혼 is marriage.
Wedding in Korean: What Does 결혼식 Mean?
결혼식 names the ceremony itself. The register is neutral, and it is separate from 결혼, which means marriage as a state or the act of marrying. The word is Sino-Korean and built from three hanja, so it can be read piece by piece.
How Do You Pronounce 결혼식?
Three syllables, gyeol-hon-sik. In careful speech the ㅎ of 혼 is a clear h; in fast everyday speech it weakens after ㄹ, so you may hear something close to gyeo-ron-sik. The final ㄱ is unreleased.
Example Sentences with 결혼식
주말에 친구의 결혼식이 있어요.
jumare chinguui gyeolhonsigi isseoyo.
There is a friend's wedding this weekend.
주말에 means "at the weekend", here the coming one, and 있어요 reports that the event exists, a good frame for invitations.
결혼식에 참석했어요.
gyeolhonsige chamseokhaesseoyo.
I attended the wedding.
참석했어요, "attended", is a slightly formal verb for being present at an event, and 에 marks the event.
결혼식은 예식장에서 해요.
gyeolhonsigeun yesikjangeseo haeyo.
The wedding is held at a wedding hall.
예식장 is the hall, and 에서 marks where an action happens, so the ceremony takes place at a hall.
Common Phrases and Collocations
The phrases cover going, planning and the venue.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 결혼식에 가다 | go to a wedding |
| 결혼식 날짜 | wedding date |
| 결혼식장 | wedding hall |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners confuse 결혼식, the ceremony, with 결혼, marriage in general.
Wrong: 결혼 for the event you attend
Correct: 결혼식 for the ceremony; 결혼 for marriage itself
You attend a 결혼식, but you do not attend a 결혼. Use 결혼식 whenever there is a day, a hall and guests.
결혼식 Compared with Similar Words
결혼 is marriage, and 신랑 is the groom. Picture the ceremony versus the state of being married.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 결혼 | marriage | the state or act of marrying |
| 신랑 | groom | the man getting married |
Background on 결혼식
The hanja are 結婚式: 結 means tie, 婚 means marry and 式 means ceremony, so the word reads as "marriage ceremony". Guests commonly give cash gifts in a white envelope, called 축의금, at weddings.
At a Wedding Venue: Finding the Right Floor
A guest arrives at a venue and asks a staff member where the ceremony is. The question names the event; the answer gives the location.
Guest
결혼식은 몇 층에서 해요?
Gyeolhonsigeun myeot cheungeseo haeyo?
On which floor is the wedding being held?
Staff member
삼 층에서 해요.
Sam cheungeseo haeyo.
It’s on the third floor.
Guest
아직 시작 안 했어요?
Ajik sijak an haesseoyo?
Has it not started yet?
Staff member
네, 아직 안 했어요.
Ne, ajik an haesseoyo.
That’s right, it hasn’t started yet.
몇 층 asks which floor, and 에서 marks where the ceremony takes place. In the last line, 네 agrees with the guest’s negative question: yes, it has not started. The translation makes that agreement explicit so an English-speaking learner does not mistake it for “yes, it has started”.
Which Wedding Phrase Fits Your Role?
결혼식에 가다 means to go to a wedding. It is a natural way for a guest to describe weekend plans. 결혼식에 참석하다 means to attend the ceremony and suits a more formal description, such as explaining attendance to a colleague.
결혼식을 올리다 means to hold or have a wedding ceremony. Although 올리다 can literally mean to raise something, this combination describes conducting the ceremony. It concerns the couple’s wedding, rather than a guest’s journey to the venue. 결혼식 날짜 names the date of that ceremony.
결혼 축하해요 means “Congratulations on your marriage”. The congratulation uses 결혼 because it celebrates the marriage, even when you say it at the ceremony. The distinction is practical: use 결혼식 for the event you attend and 결혼 for the marriage you congratulate someone on.
Where Will You See 결혼식?
A 청첩장 is a wedding invitation. It gives details such as the couple, date, time and venue. If you receive a mobile invitation, the venue information still matters: knowing the building alone may not tell you which room or floor hosts the ceremony.
Signs at a venue may identify the 신랑, groom, and 신부, bride. Those labels can help you match the names on an invitation to the right wedding. 결혼식장 and 예식장 both name a wedding venue; the word 결혼식 without 장 names the event itself.
In dramas, a character saying they have a 결혼식 to go to may simply be a guest. The word alone does not say they are getting married. Listen for whose wedding is being discussed, as in the existing example about a friend’s ceremony.
Gifts and Polite Wording
축의금 is congratulatory gift money. At a wedding, it refers to the cash gift for the couple; the envelope holds the money but is not itself what the word means. The amount depends on the relationship and circumstances, so the vocabulary word does not tell you a fixed sum to give.
결혼식 is neutral and does not change for an older person’s wedding. In a congratulation, 축하합니다 is a formal polite choice, while 축하해요 is conversational and polite. Both express congratulations; choose the ending to fit your relationship with the person you address.
Words for Reading an Invitation
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 청첩장 | wedding invitation | Gives the ceremony details. |
| 신랑 | groom | Identifies one member of the couple. |
| 신부 | bride | A useful partner word to 신랑. |
| 하객 | wedding guest | Describes someone attending the wedding. |
| 축의금 | congratulatory gift money | The cash gift, rather than its envelope. |
The wedding vocabulary lesson teaches the wider set. Learn the people, event and venue as separate words so an invitation tells you who is marrying and where to go.
Quick Self-Test
- Which word names the ceremony: 결혼 or 결혼식?
- Does 결혼식에 가다 necessarily mean the speaker is getting married?
- Is 축의금 the gift money or the envelope itself?
Show answers
- 결혼식 names the ceremony.
- No. A guest can use it to say they are going to a wedding.
- It is the gift money.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say wedding in Korean?
Say 결혼식 (gyeolhonsik).
What is the difference between 결혼식 and 결혼?
결혼식 is the ceremony; 결혼 is marriage.
What do guests bring?
Cash in a white envelope, called 축의금.
Where are weddings held?
At a wedding hall, 예식장, as the third example says.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: the culture holidays word list sits next to other celebration words.
- Full list: Korean wedding vocabulary teaches the wider set.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Compare with the page for marriage.
- Next in the list: the page for New Year's Day.
- Practice: add this word to the vocabulary flashcard decks.