You proudly tell your colleague, "I'm going to marry with him next year." Your colleague pauses. Smiles. Says "congratulations." Then later, gently, mentions that English doesn't actually use "marry with." If you've made this mistake — welcome to one of the most universal traps in English. Let's fix it for good.
Quick Answer
There is no "marry with" in standard English. Use "marry someone" (no preposition), "get married to someone," or "be married to someone." The preposition is always to, never with. And remember: a wedding is the event; a marriage is the relationship.
What People Actually Say
| Pattern | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| marry + person (no preposition) | "She married him in 2020." | Transitive verb, direct object. |
| get married to + person | "He got married to his neighbor." | Focus on the event. |
| be married to + person | "I'm married to a chef." | Focus on the current state. |
| get married (alone) | "They got married last year." | No partner specified. |
| be getting married | "We're getting married in June." | Future plans, near term. |
| be engaged to + person | "She's engaged to her partner." | Pre-wedding state. |
| have a wedding | "We had a small wedding." | Event, ceremony. |
| have a marriage | "They have a strong marriage." | Relationship, long-term. |
Common Mistakes
- "I will marry with him." → "I will marry him." or "I'll get married to him." · Rule: no preposition after the bare verb "marry." If you must add one, it's "to."
- "She is married with a doctor." → "She is married to a doctor." · "Married with" sounds like she brought a doctor along.
- "He married to her last year." → "He married her last year." or "He got married to her last year." · Bare "marry" takes no preposition; "to" only appears with "get/be married."
- "How was your marriage on Saturday?" → "How was your wedding on Saturday?" · The Saturday event is a wedding; the marriage is the long-term thing that follows.
- "They are in marriage for ten years." → "They've been married for ten years." · English uses the present perfect for ongoing states.
- "I want to do a marriage with him." → "I want to marry him." · "Do a marriage" isn't English; the verb is "marry" or "get married."
Mini Dialogues
Dialogue 1 — Catching up with an old friend A: I haven't seen you in forever! Are you still with Jordan? B: Married him last summer, actually. A: Wait, what? Congratulations! B: Tiny ceremony — just family. We've been together for nine years, so it felt small but right.
Dialogue 2 — Self-correction in real time A: My sister is going to marry with… B: To. A: Right — going to marry her boyfriend. B: Even better: drop the preposition completely. "Marry" doesn't need one. A: Got it. My sister is going to marry her boyfriend. B: Perfect.
Tone Notes
The "marry with" error is so widespread that most native English speakers will know exactly what you mean — but it does mark you as a learner. The good news: once you internalize the rule (bare "marry" = no preposition; "get/be married" + "to"), it sticks. Pay attention to the difference between wedding (a one-day event, with a venue and cake) and marriage (the relationship that lasts decades). "Happy wedding anniversary" works because the anniversary marks the wedding day; "marriage anniversary" sounds slightly off. Also, "weds" appears in news headlines ("Singer Weds Director"), but no one says "I will wed him" in everyday speech.
Practice: Choose the Natural Sentence
Telling your friend about future plans:
- A. "I'm going to marry with my partner next spring."
- B. "I'm going to marry my partner next spring."
Describing a long-term relationship:
- A. "She has been married to him for fifteen years."
- B. "She has been married with him for fifteen years."
Asking about a recent ceremony:
- A. "How was your marriage last weekend?"
- B. "How was your wedding last weekend?"
Answer Key
- B — Bare "marry" never takes a preposition.
- A — "Married to," never "married with."
- B — The weekend event is a wedding; the marriage is the years that follow.
Tiny Summary
Three rules to seal it in: (1) "marry someone" — no preposition. (2) "get/be married to someone" — preposition is always "to." (3) wedding = event, marriage = relationship. Drill those three and the most common English marriage mistakes disappear overnight.