订婚
dìng hūn · HSK 7
to get engaged
💍 ding! the bell confirms (ding) your marriage (hun) deal
订 means to book or settle — like nailing down a reservation. 婚 means marriage. Together: settling the marriage arrangement, i.e. getting engaged. The ding sound locks it in like a checkout bell.
订 — speech radical 讠 + nail 丁
订 combines the speech radical 讠 (word) with 丁 (nail), which also hints at the sound. The idea is words 'nailed down' into an agreement, giving meanings like to settle, arrange, subscribe, or book. 丁 is mainly phonetic here but reinforces the sense of fixing something firmly.