HOME > WordMaster® > ENGAGED | 婚約した

For Life
2005.05.30(Review of 2004.02.12 edition)

Hello! This is the week in which we welcome June - the month of weddings! So it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess what we'll be talking about from now until Friday.

Let's set the scene for today's WordMaster: A man gets down on bended knee, takes his girl's hand, and asks her to be his forever ... Is that how it's still done? Or maybe young people these days propose with a quick email?!

Today's LessonCATEGORY: ジャパニーズイングリッシュ
ENGAGED   婚約した

Explanation

  • A man and woman are engaged if they have formally agreed to get married.

    Be Careful! A ring that a man gives to a woman when they get engaged is called an “engagement ring”, NOT an “engage ring” like the Japanese エンゲージリング.
  • engaged は、男女が正式に結婚の約束をしている、つまり、婚約している、という意味です。

    注意:婚約指輪のことを英語では、engagement ring と言います。engage ring「エンゲージリング」は和製英語です。

examples

  1. a: We're engaged to be married in June.
    b: Congratulations!
  2. My daughter is engaged to a doctor in Boston. They'll be living there after they get married.
  3. My wife and I met in college, dated for a year, were engaged for another year, and then got married the year we graduated.
  4. Guess what! Tony and Cynthia got engaged!

英会話レッスンRomance is always in the air at Berlitz WordMaster!