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Advanced Mandarin Chinese: "Gift-Giving Taboos" with eChineseLearning

796 views · Published 8 August 2018 · 4:14 · Indexed 10 November 2026

Channel: eChineseLearning · 2018 · Education

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Teacher Dora is part of the eChineseLearning team helping foreign learners with Chinese study. If you are an advanced Chinese student, conversation lessons like this will be helpful for you. To learn more about our Chinese classes here: https://goo.gl/VugBhS
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In a previous lesson, Teacher Dora helped an e-Classroom student learn about "Food Taboos in China". You can view this lesson here: https://goo.gl/FYMb2R
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In today's lesson, another student learns about gift-giving taboos in China. 

When you’ve been invited to a social event in China, it’s courtesy to bring a special gift for the host. For this the options are nearly limitless: food, clothes, books etc. However, there are a few exceptions. For example, in China, a clock "钟(zhōng)" should never be given as a present.

The reason: In Chinese, “送钟 (sòngzhōng)” and “送终 (sòngzhōng)” which means to attend upon a dying parent or other senior members of one’s family, are homophonic and easy to confuse.

As a wedding gift, an umbrella is not appropriate. The reason is: "伞 (sǎn) umbrella", sounds like the word "散 (sàn)," which means to separate. Giving an umbrella symbolizes that the relationship between the couple may soon dissolve. Oh no!

A green hat is also not appropriate as a wedding gift as well. Here is an article about the infamous green hat in China HERE: https://goo.gl/ZsyHHV
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China has some very interesting taboos when you explore them. To download an entire e-Book titled "20 Chinese Taboos You Should Never Try" with us HERE: https://goo.gl/w43MZp
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