marriage proposal
13
2.2
- noun
- /ˈmɛrɪdʒ prəˈpoʊzəl/
:
propuesta de matrimonio
- He surprised her with a romantic marriage proposal during their vacation in Paris.
And all of a sudden, this marriage proposal just shows up.
- And all of a sudden, this marriage proposal just shows up.
- Yeah, it's much longer letter than that, but that's the words that I put in the book, A marriage proposal.
Examples
-
As for my marriage proposal, it hasn't progressed far.
Fiction book (1999) -
It was a marriage proposal.
-
I turned down marriage proposals without even a thought.
-
You gonna make me a marriage proposal?
-
Well, it's not every day I get a marriage proposal.
-
Had she said yes to my marriage proposal?
Fiction book (1996) -
And all of a sudden, this marriage proposal just shows up.
-
But Sakina's mother had not been sure of success until she received a marriage proposal.
Fiction book (1995) -
I'll have you know, I've already had two marriage proposals today.
-
Duke Michael Braganza made me a marriage proposal, through his uncle, the king of Portugal.
Synonyms
44
2.9
Asking someone to marry you
40
7.8
A request to marry someone
2
2.5
To ask someone to marry you
1
3.0
To ask someone to become your husband or wife
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an act of formally asking someone to marry you' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'marriage' (a marital union) with 'proposal' (an act of asking). This straightforward noun + noun composition is a common, cross-linguistic pattern in English and would be accessible to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.
Etymology
The noun marriage proposal comes from the simple image of one person offering marriage and making a proposal by asking 'Will you marry me?' often while kneeling and giving a ring. That's why the phrase means 'an act of formally asking someone to marry you'.