彩礼
释义 DEFINITION
传统定义：婚姻缔结过程中男方家庭向女方家庭赠送的聘金或礼物，象征对女方家庭的尊重和诚意。
现代争议：近年来部分地区的彩礼金额暴涨，演变成带有交易性质的婚姻前置条件，2023年最高法明确禁止借婚姻索取财物。
互联网语境：现多用于批判天价彩礼现象，网友常用'卖女儿''婚姻买卖'等尖锐表述，部分地区出现'一动不动（车房）'、'万紫千红（5元1万张+100元1000张）'等黑话式彩礼标准。
词源故事 ETYMOLOGY
彩礼作为婚俗可以追溯至周代的'纳征'制度，《仪礼》记载婚嫁六礼中，男方需送聘礼到女家表示婚约成立。这种传统在农业社会具有补偿女方劳动力损失的经济功能。
2010年后，随着性别比例失衡加剧，彩礼开始异化。江西某县2022年彩礼均值达38万元，是当地人均年收入的15倍。抖音网红'彩礼说媒'事件中，女方母亲要求'杭州全款房+宝马X5+88万现金'，导致全网批判。
政府层面，2023年中央一号文件首次提出'开展高价彩礼整治'，河南宁陵县推行'彩礼限高5万元'政策。知乎热帖'为什么越穷的地方彩礼越高'获12万赞，分析指出这实质是底层男性的婚姻竞价机制。
例句：'他们俩因为彩礼谈崩了，女方非要50万还说这是基本行情。'
DEFINITION
Traditional meaning: Monetary gifts or presents from the groom's family to the bride's family during marriage negotiations, symbolizing respect in Chinese marital customs.
Modern controversy: Now often criticized as 'transactional marriage' due to skyrocketing demands - some regions require luxury cars, apartments, and cash equivalent to 10+ years' income. China's Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that demanding property through marriage is illegal.
Cultural context: Westerners may compare it to engagement rings, but Chinese彩礼 involves complex family negotiations and sometimes becomes financial exploitation. Viral cases like '¥380,000彩礼导致分手' often trend on Weibo.
ETYMOLOGY
Rooted in Zhou Dynasty's marital rites,彩礼(li) originally symbolized commitment through gift exchanges between families. The Book of Rites records six wedding ceremonies where grooms presented betrothal gifts.
Modern distortion began around 2010 due to China's gender imbalance (118 boys born per 100 girls in 2005). In Jiangxi province, average彩礼reached ¥380,000($53,000) in 2022 - 15 times local annual income. A viral Douyin video showed a mother demanding 'fully-paid Hangzhou apartment + BMW X5 + ¥880,000 cash', sparking nationwide outrage.
The CCP intervened in 2023, with the No.1 Central Document explicitly targeting exorbitant彩礼. Henan's Ningling County capped彩礼at ¥50,000. Zhihu's trending post 'Why Do Poorer Regions Demand Higher Bride Prices?' (120k upvotes) analyzed it as a brutal marriage auction among low-income males.
Example: 'Their relationship collapsed during彩礼negotiations - her family insisted on ¥500,000 calling it market rate.'