‘再嫁’ literally means ‘again marry’ and specifically refers to a woman marrying for the second (or subsequent) time after widowhood or divorce. The character 再 (zài) means ‘again’ or ‘once more’, while 嫁 (jià) means ‘to marry’ — used exclusively for women (the counterpart for men is ‘娶’, qǔ). This term carries historical and social connotations, often appearing in discussions about family structure, gender roles, or life transitions in traditional and modern Chinese society.

Though neutral in formal usage, ‘再嫁’ may subtly reflect societal expectations — especially in older texts or rural contexts — where remarriage for women was sometimes stigmatized. Today, it appears in news reports, legal documents, novels, and everyday conversation when describing personal life events. It is not used for men’s remarriage; instead, ‘再婚’ (zài hūn) is gender-neutral and more common in contemporary speech.