Taboos of giving business gifts in China

The traditional festival, Mid-Autumn Festival(Moon Cake Festivel), is coming soon on 27th September(this year, not always). In China, we are starting to give presents now to our friends, families, and clients before that day.

So I collected some taboos of giving gifts in China for you, wish you like it.

Please check the sharing in September in below:

Key Points (Preview):

送礼 (sònglǐ): to give gift (V.)

商务往来 (shāngwù wǎnglái): business exchanges/doing business with others (N.)

“送礼 (sònglǐ) Giving gift” is an important part of “商务往来 (shāngwù wǎnglái) doing business” in China. Cultural traditions play an important role in business life in China. And there are some important “禁忌 (jìnjì) taboos” that business people should be aware of.

First, people should not give clocks to others since the Chinese pronunciation of “送钟 (sòngzhōng) to give clocks” is the same as that of “送终 (sòngzhōng) to attend upon a dying relative.”

Second, people should not give shoes as gifts since the Chinese pronunciation of “鞋 (xié)shoes” is the same as that of “邪 (xié) evil.” There is another proverb that says, “If you give shoes to a pair of lovers, it means they will break up.”

Lastly, people should not give pears as gifts to others because the Chinese pronunciation of “梨 (lí) pears” is the same as that of “离 (lí) to separate.” The meaning of Chinese character “离 (lí)” is not “吉利 (jílì) lucky” in Chinese. As well as “伞sǎn” (umbrella), becasue it sounds "散sàn" (break up or seprate).

However, there are some gifts given nowadays in somearea but considered very bad in old times, such as coffin, “棺材guāncái”. Why? It is sounds the word "官guān"(government officer) and “财cái” (fortune or wealth).

Here are some examples:

Jiérì sònglǐ shì yì zhǒng fēngsú.
节日 送礼 是 一 种 风俗。
Giving presents on festivals is a tradition.

Tā sònglǐ hěn kāngkǎi.
他 送礼 很 慷慨。
He is generous in giving gifts.

商务往来 (shāngwù wǎnglái): n. business exchanges/doing business with others

The character “商 (shāng)” means commerce and “务 (wù)” means affair. “往(wǎng)” meansto goand “来 (lái)” means to come.

Examples:

Tāmen jiànlì le xīn de shāngwù wǎnglái guānxi.
他们 建立了 新 的 商务 往来 关系。
They have established a new business relationship.

Zhè liǎng jiā gōngsī de shāngwù wǎnglái hěn pínfán.
这 两 家 公司 的 商务 往来 很 频繁。

The two companies are very frequent in business exchanges.

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary:
禁忌 (jìnjì): n. taboo

吉利 (jílì): adj. lucky