“Marry”: Meaning, Tenses, Prepositions & Usage

Marry – to become united with someone else in an official union in marriage. The verb may refer to the process of marrying itself, the resulting state, or the performance of the wedding ceremony. It is among those verbs whose choice of prepositions alters sentence structure completely, so the grammar must be carefully considered.

Part of speech:

Verb (regular, transitive and intransitive)

Phonetic transcription (IPA):

/ˈmær.i/

CEFR level:

B1

Word frequency:

How to Pronounce “Marry”?

Audio (UK):

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Audio (US):

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Vowel in the stressed syllable is the short /æ/ sound, as found in “cat,” “hand,” “back” – you need to open your mouth wide and keep your tongue low. Note that there is a regional difference: in British English, the words “marry,” “Mary,” and “merry” are distinct, whereas in many American dialects, they are pronounced practically the same.

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Tenses & Conjugation of “Marry”

The verb “marry” is a regular one, and therefore, its Past Tenses are formed according to the usual pattern without spelling irregularities. However, there is one important rule that should be applied to the spelling of the third person singular form and the gerund. If a verb ends with a consonant letter + “y,” the latter should be replaced by an “i”.

Tenses

Tense	Verb Structure	Example
Present Simple (I/you/we/they)	marry	People marry later in life than they did a generation ago.
Present Simple (he/she/it)	marries	She marries her college sweetheart next spring.
Past Simple	married	They married in a small ceremony in the mountains.
Past Continuous	was/were marrying	The officiant was marrying three couples that weekend.
Present Perfect	has/have married	He has married twice and says he has no regrets about either decision.
Past Perfect	had married	By the time she turned thirty, most of her friends had already married.
Future (will)	will marry	They will marry in the summer, assuming the venue confirms the booking.

Verb Forms

Form	Verb Structure	Example
Base / Infinitive	marry	I want to marry someone who shares my hobbies.
Gerund / -ing form	marrying	Marrying abroad involves more paperwork than most couples expect.
Passive	was/were married	They were married by a local judge in a ten-minute ceremony.

Prepositions & Structures with “Marry”

This is where all the students really require some help, since the usage of “marry” is far more complicated than one would initially assume. An incorrect choice between the preposition or the use of “marry” instead of “get married to” creates an awkward statement, even if it makes sense to a native speaker.

Pattern 1: “Marry” + direct object (no preposition)

“Marry” is transitive. The person you are marrying is the direct object. No preposition between the verb and the person.

She married her best friend.

Tom married Sarah when they were in college.

Pattern 2: “Get married” + to + person

When you use the phrase “get married,” the preposition “to” is required before the person.

  They got married to each other last spring.
  Anna got married to her childhood friend in June.

Pattern 3: “Be married” + to + person (state)

Use “be married to” to describe the ongoing state of being married, not the act of getting married.

  She is married to a French engineer.
  Adam has been married to Claire for ten years.

Pattern 4: “Marry” + into + something (group, family, wealth)

Use “marry into” when someone enters a social group, family, or situation through marriage.

  He married into one of the oldest landowning families in the county.
  She hadn’t planned to marry into money. It simply turned out that way.

Common Mistakes with “Marry”

These mistakes occur repeatedly in the writing and speaking of almost all learners. Study each correction and the reason behind it to reinforce your English skills. Use this information as a step towards fluency and language comprehension.

Incorrect	Correct	Why?
She married with him last year.	She married him last year.	“Marry” is transitive. No preposition between verb and person.
He got married with her.	He got married to her.	“Get married” always uses “to” before the person, not “with.”
They are married with each other.	They are married to each other.	The state “be married” uses “to,” not “with.”
She marryied her partner.	She married her partner.	“Marry” is regular: married, married. No “y” before “-ed.”
The priest married with them.	The priest married them.	The officiant marries the couple as a direct object. No preposition.
They will married next year.	They will marry next year.	After modal verbs (will, would, can), always use the base form.