🎁Chinese Gift-Giving Taboos You Should Know
📖 A Little Story to Begin With…
A few years ago, my foreign colleague visited during the Chinese New Year.
He brought a gift for my grandma — a fancy clock, shiny and heavy, with golden hands and Roman numerals.
Handing it to her with a big smile, he said:
“I thought this would look great in your living room!”
My grandma accepted it with a polite nod… but I noticed her face stiffen just a little.
After he left, she quietly pulled me aside and whispered:
“怎么能送钟呢？不吉利！”
Zěnme néng sòng zhōng ne? Bù jílì!
“How can he give a clock? That’s unlucky!”
He had no idea that this was a serious taboo in Chinese culture.
So if you’re new to Chinese customs — or want to avoid awkward gift-giving — here’s your essential guide.
❌🕰️ 1. Clocks – 钟 (zhōng)
Giving a clock = 送钟 (sòng zhōng)
It sounds almost exactly like 送终 (sòng zhōng) → to see someone off at the end of their life.
送钟在中文里听起来像“送终”，是不吉利的。
Sòng zhōng zài zhōngwén lǐ tīng qǐlái xiàng “sòng zhōng”, shì bù jílì de.
→ Giving a clock sounds like seeing someone off at the end of their life. It’s considered unlucky.
❌☂️ 2. Umbrellas – 伞 (sǎn)
伞 (sǎn) sounds like 散 (sàn), which means to break up or separate.
So giving an umbrella might imply:
💔 “Let’s not stay friends” or “We’ll drift apart.”
伞的发音像“散”，在送礼时有不好的含义。
Sǎn de fāyīn xiàng “sàn”, zài sònglǐ shí yǒu bù hǎo de hányì.
→ The pronunciation of “umbrella” sounds like “separation,” which carries a bad implication.
❌👠 3. Shoes – 鞋 (xié)
“鞋” (xié) sounds like “邪” (xié), which means evil luck.
It can also be interpreted as sending someone away.
So giving shoes may imply:
👣 Bad luck or 🛫 “Goodbye!”
送鞋在中国文化里有“送走”的意思。
Sòng xié zài Zhōngguó wénhuà lǐ yǒu “sòng zǒu” de yìsi.
→ Giving shoes may imply sending someone away.
❌✂️ 4. Sharp Objects – 刀 (dāo), 剪刀 (jiǎndāo)
刀 (dāo) Knives or scissors 剪刀 (jiǎndāo) can symbolize cutting a relationship. ✂️💔
Even between close friends or couples, this is a big taboo!
A workaround: if someone really needs a knife set, make them “pay” you a coin for it — turning it into a transaction, not a gift.
❌🍐 5. Pears – 梨 (lí)
“梨” (lí) sounds like 离 (lí) = to part, to separate.
So don’t share a pear with your loved one. There’s even a saying:
不要分梨！(bú yào fēn lí)
→ Don’t divide a pear = Don’t separate
A cute and culturally rich way to say: Let’s stay together.
🧠 Final Tip: When in Doubt, Avoid “Bad Luck” Sounds!
In Chinese culture, wordplay matters.
Even if a gift is thoughtful, if it sounds unlucky, it might send the wrong message.
So next time you’re picking a present, double-check the meaning (and the sound!) in Chinese.
