Gifts & Presents in Chinese 礼物
lǐwù
Gift in Chinese is 礼物 (lǐ wù).
Also searched for as: gift, present, gift giving, presents.
Who are you buying for? 15 essential gifts words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
A gift in Chinese is 礼物 (lǐ wù), and giving one is called 送礼 (sòng lǐ), a social ritual with its own etiquette. These words cover what to say when you hand over a present, such as 一点儿心意 (yī diǎnr xīn yì), 'just a small token', as well as the 红包 (hóng bāo), the red envelope of money given at weddings and Chinese New Year.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 送礼 | sòng lǐ | to give a gift |
| 礼物 | lǐ wù | gift; present |
| 礼品 | lǐ pǐn | gift item |
| 包装 | bāo zhuāng | to wrap; packaging |
| 礼盒 | lǐ hé | gift box |
| 卡片 | kǎ piàn | card |
| 心意 | xīn yì | thought; gesture |
| 收下 | shōu xià | to accept |
| 打开 | dǎ kāi | to open |
| 喜欢吗 | xǐ huan ma | do you like it? |
| 纪念品 | jì niàn pǐn | souvenir |
| 鲜花 | xiān huā | fresh flowers |
| 红包 | hóng bāo | red envelope (money gift) |
| 回礼 | huí lǐ | return gift |
| 特别的 | tè bié de | special |
Usage tips
- Hand gifts over with both hands and play them down with 一点儿小心意 (yī diǎnr xiǎo xīn yì); the recipient may politely decline once or twice before they 收下 (shōu xià), accept it.
- Gifts are traditionally not opened in front of the giver, so if you'd like someone to open yours, say 你可以打开看看 (nǐ kě yǐ dǎ kāi kàn kan).
- Some gifts are avoided because of how they sound: a clock, 钟 (zhōng), echoes 送终 (sòng zhōng), attending someone's death, and an umbrella, 伞 (sǎn), sounds like 散 (sàn), to split up.
Common mistakes
- Putting an amount with the number four, 四 (sì), in a 红包 (hóng bāo); it sounds like 死 (sǐ), death, so amounts like 六百 (liù bǎi) or 八百 (bā bǎi) are safer.
- Wrapping a gift in plain white paper; white is associated with funerals, so choose red or gold 包装 (bāo zhuāng), packaging, instead.
Mini dialogue
- A生日快乐！这是给你的，一点儿心意。Shēng rì kuài lè! Zhè shì gěi nǐ de, yī diǎnr xīn yì.Happy birthday! This is for you, just a little something.
- B哎呀，太客气了！Āi yā, tài kè qi le!Oh, you shouldn't have!
- A收下吧。你可以现在打开看看。Shōu xià ba. Nǐ kě yǐ xiàn zài dǎ kāi kàn kan.Please take it. You can open it now.
- B好漂亮的围巾！谢谢你！Hǎo piào liang de wéi jīn! Xiè xie nǐ!What a lovely scarf! Thank you!
- A你喜欢吗？Nǐ xǐ huan ma?Do you like it?
- B非常喜欢！Fēi cháng xǐ huan!I love it!
Example sentences
- 中国人过节喜欢送礼。Chinese people like giving gifts at festivals.
- 这是给你的小礼物。This is a little gift for you.
- 商场有礼品店。There's a gift shop in the mall.
- 可以帮我包装一下吗？Could you gift-wrap it for me?
- 这盒茶是礼盒装的。This tea comes in a gift box.
- 礼物里有一张卡片。There's a card with the present.
- 一点儿心意，请收下。It's just a small token, please accept it.
- 不用客气，收下吧。Don't be polite, take it.
- 你可以现在打开看看。You can open it now.
- 这个礼物你喜欢吗？Do you like this present?
- 我给朋友带了纪念品。I brought souvenirs back for friends.
- 她收到了一束鲜花。She received a bunch of flowers.
- 结婚的时候要送红包。You give a red envelope at weddings.
- 他们给了我们回礼。They gave us a gift in return.
- 我想买一个特别的礼物。I want to buy a special present.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Gifts speaking island has 8 everyday questions about gifts to prepare your own answers to.