A dowry is the money, land, jewellery, or other goods that a woman (or, more often, her family) gives at marriage, usually to her husband or his family. In some countries this is still a real, serious part of getting married; in many English-speaking places you mainly meet it in history, novels, or news about somewhere else. Though actually, people also stretch the word: they may joke that someone 'brings a dowry' meaning a house, savings, or a good job, even when nobody is following the old custom.

A dowrydowryis the money, land, jewellery, or other goods指的是金錢、土地、珠寶或其他財物that a woman (or, more often, her family) gives at marriage是女方（或者更常是女方家庭）在結婚時給的，usually to her husband or his family通常是給丈夫或他的家人。In some countries在某些國家，this is still a real, serious part of getting married這仍然是結婚時真實、慎重的一環；in many English-speaking places但在很多說英文的地方you mainly meet it in history, novels, or news about somewhere else你主要是在歷史、小說、或講別的地方的新聞裡遇到它。Though actually不過其實，people also stretch the word人們也會延伸這個字的用法：they may joke that someone 'brings a dowry'他們可能會開玩笑說某人「帶了dowry來」meaning a house, savings, or a good job意思是一間房子、存款或一份好工作，even when nobody is following the old custom即使根本沒有人在遵循那個舊習俗。

It is not a bride price, which travels the other way — from the man's side to the woman's family. And it is not quite the same as dower, an older English legal word for what a widow could claim from her husband's property after he died.

It is not a bride price它不是bride price（聘金），which travels the other way那是反過來的方向——from the man's side to the woman's family從男方那邊給女方家庭。And it is not quite the same as dower它也跟dower不完全一樣，an older English legal word for what a widow could claim from her husband's property after he died那是一個較舊的英文法律用語，指丈夫過世後寡婦可以從他的財產中要求得到的部分。

Dowry can sound slightly formal or textbook-like; ordinary talk more often says 'what her family gave when she married.'

Dowrydowrycan sound slightly formal or textbook-like聽起來可能有點正式、有點像課本用語；ordinary talk日常說話more often says 'what her family gave when she married.'比較常會說「她結婚時她家給的東西」。