Dothraki Wedding Blessings & Ceremonial Phrases — Beyond the Vows

Quick Answer: Khal Drogo and Daenerys's wedding in Game of Thrones is made real by the khalasar witnessing it — feast, gifts, combat, consummation — not by scripted vows. But their own phrases, Jalan atthirari anni ("moon of my life," Drogo to Daenerys) and Shekh ma shieraki anni ("my sun and stars," Daenerys to Drogo), plus the bloodrider oath Qoy qoyi ("blood of my blood"), are the three Dothraki lines most fans reach for in a themed ceremony.

Few weddings in television history are as iconic as Daenerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo's — and few are as light on scripted dialogue. The Dothraki wedding is built on witnessed ritual, not spoken vows, which means fans planning a themed ceremony have to build vows from the language's attested romantic and loyalty vocabulary rather than quoting a single canonical script. Here is exactly what that vocabulary is, and how it fits together.

TL;DR / Quick Answer: The core wedding-adjacent phrases are Jalan atthirari anni (moon of my life), Shekh ma shieraki anni (my sun and stars), Anha zhilak yera (I love you), Qoy qoyi (blood of my blood), and Athchomar chomakea (respect to those who are respectful — the formal blessing/greeting). Every phrase below is attested in David J. Peterson's Dothraki corpus or the show's own dialogue.

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Why There Is No Scripted Dothraki Vow

Unlike a Western wedding, a Dothraki marriage is not made real by an exchange of spoken vows in front of an officiant. It is made real by the khalasar witnessing the entire event — the feast, the gift-giving, the ritual combat, and the public consummation. There is no priest, no written contract, and (as our guide to the Dothraki wedding ceremony covers in full) no scripted "I do."

This means the phrases fans reach for at a themed Dothraki wedding are not a liturgical script pulled from canon — they are the language's attested vocabulary for love, respect, and loyalty, assembled into a ceremony structure that fits the culture's actual logic.

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The Vow Phrases: Love

Anha Zhilak Yera — I Love You

The plain, direct declaration: Anha (I) + zhilak (love) + yera (you, accusative). Pronounced AHN-ha ZHEE-lahk YEH-rah. The grammatically correct, textbook phrase — useful as an opening line before the more poetic endearments below. For the full breakdown of this phrase and its cultural context, see our guide to saying I love you in Dothraki.

Jalan Atthirari Anni — Moon of My Life

Khal Drogo's endearment for Daenerys: jalan (moon) + atthirari (of life) + anni (my). This is the line to use if the groom (or one partner in any pairing) is speaking to the other as their guiding light.

Shekh Ma Shieraki Anni — My Sun and Stars

Daenerys's reciprocal endearment for Drogo: shekh (sun) + ma (and) + shieraki (stars) + anni (my). Used as the counterpart to Jalan atthirari anni — in the show, one partner is never called both; each half of the couple gets their own cosmological title.

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The Vow Phrases: Loyalty

Qoy Qoyi — Blood of My Blood

Qoy (blood) + qoyi (of blood) is the oath a bloodrider (ko) swears to his khal, pledging that his life is joined to his leader's — a bloodrider is sworn to die if his khal dies. It appears in the show's own wedding and bonding scenes, which is why it has become, by fan adoption, the closest thing Dothraki has to a marriage vow of total loyalty. The intensified form Mra qoy qoyi — "in blood of my blood" — is also attested and works as a slightly more formal variant.

Anha Vazhak Yera Arakh Anni — I Will Give You My Sword

Anha vazhak yera arakh anni — attested in Peterson's corpus as "I will give you my arakh" — is used in canon as an offering of a weapon as a gift of respect. Adapted into a vow context, it works as a pledge of protection: giving up one's own weapon, or offering it in service, to the person being married.

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The Officiant's Phrases: Blessing and Respect

Athchomar Chomakea — Respect to Those Who Are Respectful

There is no single scripted "wedding blessing" in Peterson's published material, but Athchomar chomakea — the formal honorific reply used for khals, khaleesis, and elders — is the closest attested phrase fans commonly adapt as an opening blessing, spoken by whoever stands in as officiant (a role with no fixed Dothraki title, since the khalasar itself performs the witnessing function).

M'athchomaroon — With Respect

The standard formal greeting, M'athchomaroon, literally "with respect," works as an opening line to gather the assembled witnesses — the Dothraki equivalent of "we are gathered here today," minus any religious framing.

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The Family and Title Vocabulary

Words you will want for the ceremony itself and for referring to the couple:

Dothraki	Pronunciation guide	Meaning
khaleesi	kah-LEE-see	queen; wife of a khal
khal	khahl	king; warlord
chiorikem	chee-oh-ree-KEM	wife
mahrazhkem	mah-RAHZH-kem	husband
khalasar	khah-lah-SAR	the riding clan witnessing the union
dosh khaleen	dohsh khah-LEEN	council of widowed khaleesis at Vaes Dothrak
khal vezhven	khahl VEZH-ven	great khal

For the wider cultural vocabulary around the ceremony itself — the three gifts, the ritual combat, the feast — see our full explainer on the Dothraki wedding ceremony.

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Assembling a Full Themed Vow

Using only attested vocabulary, a fan ceremony could combine these phrases into a structure like:

1. Opening (officiant/witness): M'athchomaroon. — "With respect." Gathering the assembled witnesses.
2. Blessing (officiant): Athchomar chomakea. — "Respect to those who are respectful."
3. First vow: Anha zhilak yera. — "I love you."
4. Endearment (partner 1 to partner 2): Jalan atthirari anni. — "Moon of my life."
5. Endearment (partner 2 to partner 1): Shekh ma shieraki anni. — "My sun and stars."
6. Loyalty oath (both): Qoy qoyi. — "Blood of my blood."

This sequence uses nothing beyond attested Dothraki vocabulary and matches the culture's real emphasis: respect first, then love, then a blood-loyalty pledge — rather than a single scripted "I do." Tengwar's Mithrandir AI tutor can help adapt names and specific circumstances into grammatically correct Dothraki if you want a fully custom script.

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People Also Ask

Did Khal Drogo and Daenerys actually say wedding vows in the show? No — the wedding scene has no scripted vow exchange. The marriage is made real through the khalasar witnessing the feast, the three gifts, the ritual combat, and the public consummation. The couple's own endearments (Jalan atthirari anni, Shekh ma shieraki anni) come from later in their arc, not from a vow spoken at the ceremony itself.

What is the most popular Dothraki phrase for wedding invitations or programs? Qoy qoyi ("blood of my blood") and Jalan atthirari anni ("moon of my life") are the two most commonly used by fans, since both are directly attested, short, and carry clear romantic or loyalty meaning without requiring extensive grammatical context.

Is there a Dothraki word for "marriage" itself? No standalone word for the abstract concept of "marriage" is documented in Peterson's published corpus. The closest functional term is the title change itself — a woman becomes khaleesi (wife of a khal), which is a status marker tied to the union rather than a word for the ceremony or institution.

Can Tengwar help write custom Dothraki vows? Yes — the Mithrandir AI tutor can combine attested Dothraki vocabulary into a personalized vow or ceremony script, checked against David J. Peterson's grammar rules rather than guessed at.

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Related Reading

• The Dothraki Wedding Ceremony Explained (With Dothraki Phrases)
• How to Say 'I Love You' in Dothraki — Anha Zhilak Yera
• Dothraki Phrases for Love and Loyalty
• Dothraki Words for Strength and Honor
• Khaleesi Meaning in Dothraki: What the Title Actually Says

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