‘娶亲’ literally means ‘to fetch the bride’ and refers to the traditional Chinese wedding ceremony where the groom’s family formally brings the bride home. The character 娶 (qǔ) means ‘to marry (a wife)’, emphasizing the groom’s perspective, while 亲 (qīn) here specifically means ‘bride’ or ‘the person being married into the family’, not ‘relative’. This term is deeply rooted in historical marriage customs and carries ceremonial weight — it’s not just about getting married, but about performing the ritual of welcoming the bride into the groom’s household.

Although modern couples may use more neutral terms like 结婚 (jiéhūn, ‘to get married’), 娶亲 remains common in formal, literary, or regional contexts — especially when describing traditional weddings, folk customs, or media depictions of wedding processions. It’s almost exclusively used for heterosexual marriages and always implies the groom’s active role in the ceremony.