彩礼贷
释义 DEFINITION
彩礼贷是近年中国出现的特殊金融产品，包含三重含义：
- 字面定义：金融机构为筹备婚礼中「彩礼」环节推出的专项消费贷款
- 社会隐喻：反映部分地区天价彩礼（平均10-30万元）带来的经济压力
- 文化批判：被网友视为物化婚姻、扭曲传统习俗的商业化现象
目前网络语境中，95%以上使用其批判性含义，用于讽刺婚恋市场中的畸形消费观。
词源故事 ETYMOLOGY
2021年3月，江西九江银行推出「彩礼贷」海报事件引爆全网。宣传文案中「最高可贷30万，年利率低至4.9%」「贷款用途：新婚旅行、购车、购首饰」等字眼，精准踩中当代年轻人的焦虑点。
事件发酵分为三个阶段：
- 爆发期：网友发现申请条件中竟包含「22-65岁」「情侣一方需为行政事业单位员工」等要求，质疑银行变相鼓励高额彩礼
- 批判期：主流媒体加入声讨，《人民日报》发文「彩礼贷这种玩意儿，连宣都不要宣」
- 衍生期：衍生出「墓地贷」「二胎贷」等讽刺性新词，成为消费主义过度的代名词
典型案例：某知乎用户评论——「昨天996福报，今天彩礼贷解套，资本连我们的婚姻都要做成资产负债表了？」
目前该词多用于：
- 吐槽婚恋成本（例：没有50万彩礼？建议去借彩礼贷啊）
- 批判资本无底线（例：继彩礼贷之后，呼吸贷正在路上）
DEFINITION
Bride Price Loan refers to a controversial financial product in China with layered meanings:
- Literal: Specialized loans offered by banks for paying caili (traditional betrothal gifts averaging $14,000-$42,000)
- Social: Symbolizes the economic burden caused by China's rising marriage costs
- Cultural: Widely criticized as commercializing romance and distorting cultural traditions
Western readers can understand this as a "reverse dowry loan" that's become a lightning rod for debates about modern relationships.
ETYMOLOGY
The cultural firestorm began in March 2021 when Jiangxi Jiujiang Bank advertised "Bride Price Loans" with promotional posters showing a smiling couple and slogans like "Borrow up to 300,000 RMB ($42,000) at 4.9% APR for your perfect wedding."
Key controversy points:
- Cultural Trigger: China's bride price tradition dates back 2,000+ years, but modern amounts often exceed 3x annual salaries
- Bank's Misstep: Requiring borrowers to be "government employees aged 22-65" implied institutional endorsement of the practice
- Media Backlash:<｜fim▁end｜> State media like People's Daily condemned it as "financializing love"
This incident became China's version of the "diamond engagement ring" debate in the West, but with higher stakes. As Douyin (TikTok) user @WeddingPlanner commented: "First they monetized our working hours, now they're securitizing our marriages? What's next - baby futures?"
The term now symbolizes:
- Millennials' frustration with marriage economics
- Growing pushback against commercialized traditions
- Satire of predatory capitalism (e.g. jokes about "divorce insurance" products)