HSK 3-4 |What NOT to Gift in China | 千万别送 | Natural Chinese Podcast

Wang Jie, I have a question for you—have you ever spent a lot of money buying a very beautiful gift for a Chinese friend? I bought it, Xiao Lin. I wrapped it nicely and tied a beautiful ribbon on it. Have you ever been in such a situation? You smile and hand over the gift; the other person's face suddenly freezes for a second. They're still smiling with their mouth, but their eyes seem to be asking, What did this person just give me? Don't mention it, Xiao Lin, I've been caught off guard before. At that moment, I was stunned and didn't know what I had done wrong. If you've ever felt this way, this episode is made for you. You might fear accidentally offending a Chinese person with a gift. Today, let's discuss the gifts that are most taboo to give to Chinese people—some things you might think are thoughtful actually convey messages you never intended to send. It sounds a bit scary—can you even say the wrong thing when giving a gift? Sure, today I'll tell you about the three most common mistakes, plus a very simple method that will ensure you never make the wrong choice again. Alright, what's the first trap, Xiao Lin? Let me give you a metaphor to help you remember this episode: giving gifts in China is like sending a text message. Send a text message? Yes, the real text message isn't the card you wrote, but the thing itself—the object is the content. Just as smartphones sometimes automatically correct words, turning kind messages into unpleasant ones, in Chinese, this automatic correction is homophonic punning. The word "gift" sounds like an unlucky phrase, so your blessing has been turned into a curse. I see, so the first pitfall is about sound, right? You're right. I call the first type "wrong sound delivery." The most classic example is a clock hanging on the wall. In the U.S., giving a watch as a gift is considered quite a high-end gesture. However, in China, giving a clock sounds exactly the same as "giving a clock," and the phrase "giving a clock" means arranging funeral arrangements for someone who is about to pass away. So when you hand the clock to an elder, intending to wish him a long life, what he hears in his ears is actually a wish for you to hurry up and depart. Goodness, no wonder! I see now—giving a clock and receiving a clock are homophones. Yes, this is the cardinal sin, listed at the top of every single list. The same voice pit, plus other things. The word "umbrella" sounds like "to disperse" or "to separate." Giving an umbrella to a lover or close friend is like wishing them to go their separate ways. Wait, there's one more I've heard—it's "li," right? Great Wang Jie, "Li" sounds like "Li," meaning to leave or separation. Therefore, people give zongzi to their loved ones, and when two people eat zongzi together, they must not split one zongzi apart. Because separation sounds like separation. Wait a minute, even I, who just cut ties, would say a breakup line. That's right, many people learning Chinese stumble right here. You've learned the words zhōng, sǎn, and lí, yet you don't know the sounds hidden behind them. Okay, I'm afraid I've fallen into the first trap. What about the second one? The second pitfall lies not in sound, but in numbers and colors. I told him to misread the color, say the number first—it sounds just like "death." Ah, I know this—just like many buildings in the U.S. don't have a 13th floor. Yes, the same mentality, so don't give gifts in sets of four. Chinese people prefer even numbers because good things come in pairs, but the number four is an exception and must be avoided. The name "Ba Que" is very popular because it sounds like "fa," meaning prosperity and wealth. What about the color, Koichi? White and black are colors associated with funerals, so avoid wrapping gifts in entirely white or entirely black paper. Also don't send white chrysanthemums; they are used for tomb-sweeping ceremonies for the deceased. The safest and luckiest color is red. Great, what about the third pit? The third trap is the most difficult, not because of sound or appearance, but because of the meaning behind the objects. The hat itself is not a problem, but if it's a green hat and you give it to a man, then... What would happen then? In Chinese culture, wearing a green hat means one's wife has been unfaithful. So you happily give him a beautiful green hat, He was actually telling the whole world that his wife had betrayed him. Wow, I never would have guessed that. Yes, this is a cultural code-type trap. Moreover, the word for "shoe" sounds like "xie," which means "evil aura" or "malevolent energy," making it unlucky. Giving shoes to a lover is even more taboo, as it's like tying a pair of shoes to make him leave your life. Knives, scissors, and other sharp tools symbolize cutting ties. These three pits together are really frightening—I'm even afraid to send anything now. Don't worry, Wang Jie, this is the most important part. You don't need to memorize a hundred taboos; just remember one method. I call it the three-second test. Three-second test—sounds good. How is it done? It's very simple: before giving anything, just say his Chinese name aloud. Then ask yourself whether this sound resembles an unlucky word. From center to center, from scatter to scatter, from separation to separation—just three seconds. If it matches, don't send. It's about turning the sound-related issues into a self-checking tool. So smart. Yes, I want you to try it right now, don't wait, Think of a gift you have given or would like to give to a Chinese person. Say his name out loud in Chinese and listen—does he sound like death? Does it resemble departure? Does it resemble dispersion? Well, I just tried; the gift for my boss was okay, didn't win. If you're still unsure, just choose a safe gift. Choose red, choose an even number, but don't pick four. Giving tea, wine, and food as gifts is almost never wrong. Red double-digit lotto numbers, plus tea or wine, are easy to remember. A concrete method is far better than five empty phrases. Remember the three-second rule, and you can avoid 90% of accidents. If you remember only one sentence from today's episode, Remember this saying: when giving a gift, it's not the object that's given, but a sentence. Giving a gift isn't about the object, but about a single sentence? Yes, so make sure to check your gift before giving it, and say a kind word. Before we finish, Xiao Lin, let's quickly review a few words. Alright, five points. The first taboo is what to avoid. Giving clocks as gifts is a major taboo. The second way of giving a gift is to present a gift. For example, when visiting a Chinese friend's home, you should bring a gift. The third most important homophonic word is a word that sounds the same. The words "zhōng" and "zhōng" are homophones. The fourth lucky color is red. Example sentence: The red gift is the safest. The fifth even number is an even number. For example, when giving gifts, give an even number, but don't give four. Alright, it's your turn, dear listener. We would like you to write in Chinese in the review right now. Tell us in Chinese what gift you would like to give your Chinese friend. I want to give, for example, red tea. Or perhaps you've also made a mistake; just use what I sent over. We really want to hear your story. Write it down right now, just one sentence in Chinese. See you in our next episode of Natural Chinese Podcast.