I never truly asked for my wife's hand in marriage, primarily because I was interested more in the whole than individual parts.
However, the day did come when I cowered before my future mother-in-law (my bride-to-be's father was ill) and bumbled into the time-honored "May I marry your daughter?" talk. My brain wiggled in my head like Jello. Not surprisingly, I can't recall a single word I said. Nor can I remember my mother-in-law's answer. Still, as my wife and I have been married now for 21 years, I assume I received a "Yes" response.
Yet . . . considering my lack of success with Japanese . . . wouldn't it be something if my entire marriage was a misunderstanding!?