A betrothal is the agreement that two people will marry — the promise itself, and sometimes the little ceremony that makes the promise public. It sits before the wedding. In older Europe it could be almost as binding as marriage, and families often treated it as a contract, not only as a feeling.

A betrothal is the agreement that two people will marrybetrothal 是兩個人約定要結婚的協議 — the promise itself那個承諾本身, and sometimes the little ceremony that makes the promise public有時候也包括讓這個承諾公開的小儀式。It它 sits before the wedding排在婚禮之前。In older Europe在早期的歐洲, it could be almost as binding as marriage它幾乎可以跟婚姻一樣有約束力, and families often treated it as a contract, not only as a feeling家族常常把它當成一份合約，而不只是一種感情。

Today English speakers usually say engagement for the same stage of life. Betrothal sounds like a history book, a very formal church setting, or a careful word for a culture that still treats the promise as official and heavy. If you only need the ordinary school word for “we plan to marry,” engagement is the one people expect.

Today現在的英語使用者 English speakers usually say engagement for the same stage of life同樣的人生階段通常會說 engagement。BetrothalBetrothal sounds like a history book, a very formal church setting聽起來像歷史書、非常正式的教會場合, or a careful word for a culture that still treats the promise as official and heavy或是用來謹慎地形容一個仍把這個承諾看得很正式、很重的文化。If you only need the ordinary school word for "we plan to marry,"如果你只是需要「我們打算結婚」這種普通的說法 engagement is the one people expectengagement 才是大家會預期聽到的字。