父母之命，媒妁之言

fù mǔ zhī mìng , méi shuò zhī yán

(idiom) parents' orders and matchmaker's services (in establishing an arranged marriage)

父

fù

father

母

mǔ

mother

之

zhī

(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5])

命

mìng

life

，

,

媒

méi

medium

妁

shuò

(literary) matchmaker (on the bride's side)

之

zhī

(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5])

言

yán

words