拜天地

bài tiāndì
verb #73,873

Meanings

  1. 1 to bow to heaven and earth, the first of the three bows at a traditional wedding
  2. 2 to perform the traditional wedding bows; to get married the old way

Examples

HSK 5
Xīnláng hé xīnniáng xiān bài tiāndì, zài bài fùmǔ.
The bride and groom first bow to heaven and earth, then to their parents.
HSK 7-9
Nǎinai shuō, tā jiéhūn nà nián méiyou hūnshā, zhǐshì zài yuànzi lǐ bài tiāndì.
Grandma says that the year she married there was no wedding dress: they just bowed to heaven and earth in the courtyard.

Tips

culture
At a traditional wedding the master of ceremonies calls three bows: to heaven and earth (拜天地), to the parents (拜高堂), and husband and wife to each other (夫妻对拜), and last 送入洞房, into the bridal chamber. The whole ceremony is also called 拜堂.
grammar
A verb plus its object, so it can split: 拜了天地 means the couple went through the bows, in other words they are married.

Stroke Order

拜 bài
天 tiān
地 dì