Gifts You Should Not Give a Chinese Person
Pre
discussion questions
What gifts
do you think would be bad to give a Chinese or Korean person?
Why
would they be bad?
1. Sharp Objects — Cut Off Relationship
Giving somebody a sharp object insinuates that you want to cut off your relationship with
them. A common Chinese saying goes "one slash and its in two parts." This
means the end of a relationship between people.
2. The Number 4 — Sounds Like Death
In Chinese, the number four sounds similar
to the word for death. So, anything with the number 4 is believed to be unlucky.
That is why there is no floor four in some
buildings and hotels, for example.
3. Shoes — Evil
Shoes are a bad idea for a present for
Chinese New Year because the word for 'shoes' sounds exactly like a word
for bad luck or 'evil.’ On top of
that, shoes are something that you step on, and so are not good gifts.
4. Handkerchiefs (a handkerchief is a small
towel people carry with them to wipe away tears or to clean a face) — A Symbol of
Saying Goodbye Forever
People usually give handkerchiefs at the
end of a funeral. Handkerchiefs are a symbol of saying goodbye forever. Giving
someone a gift like this insinuates you are saying goodbye forever, and
stopping all connection.
5. Clocks — Bad Luck
In Chinese, saying 'giving a clock' sounds
exactly like the Chinese words for 'attending a funeral event’ and so it
is bad luck to gift clocks or watches.
On top of that, clocks and watches also symbolize the running out of time. This is especially true for seniors. Giving a
clock or watch as a gift is the biggest no-no in Chinese culture.
6. Pears — Parting
Giving fruit is a good thing, but pears are
taboo. This is because the Chinese
word for 'pears' sounds the same as the word for leaving or 'parting.’
7. Cut Flowers — Presents for Funerals
Cut flowers are usually presents for
funerals. So do not give them on Chinese New Year! This is especially true for
Yellow Chrysanthemums and any white flowers, which mean death. White is an
unlucky (funeral) color in Chinese culture.
8. Umbrellas — Break Up
Umbrellas are a bad idea to give as gifts,
because the Chinese word for 'umbrella' sounds like the word for 'breaking up.’ Giving somebody an
umbrella may insinuate that you feel your relationship with them has fallen
apart.
9. Black or White Objects — Often Used in
Funerals
Black and White are important colors in
funerals, so don’t give presents that are mostly black or white. Red, however, is believed to be a happy color
for happy events. So red is always a great choice for envelopes, or gifts.
10. Mirrors — Attract Ghosts
Mirrors are a bad idea for gifts throughout
many places in Asia. It is believed that mirrors attract ghosts. On top of
that, they are easily broken and breaking things is a bad omen.
Try
to guess the meaning of the words in bold and match them with their closest
meaning from the choices in the right. Some of the answers are very close and
have similar meaning. The meaning of these words is how they are used in the
reading. Some of these words have different meanings in the dictionary
depending on how they are used.
The
answers are below the table.
insinuates
|
A
|
1
|
To stop, to remove
|
cut off
|
B
|
2
|
You must not do, totally forbidden
|
On top of that
|
C
|
3
|
A symbol of something,
|
symbolize
|
D
|
4
|
A sign or hint of something bad
|
running out of time
|
E
|
5
|
To finish or stop a
relationship/friendship
|
taboo
|
F
|
6
|
Soon there will be no more chance or
opportunity
|
breaking up
|
G
|
7
|
To suggest (usually in a negative way),
to accuse
|
omen
|
H
|
8
|
In addition, also
|
A=7, B=1, C=8, D=3, E=6, F=2,
G=5, H=4
Some
example sentences using the new words or phrases from the meaning of how they
are used in the reading to help you understand better.
1.
The teacher insinuated that he cheated.
2.
You need to cut off from talking with that man, he
is bad.
3.
We lost a lot of money on this
deal, on top of that, we could not
sell the business either.
4.
The center circle on the Korean
flag symbolizes ying and yang.
5.
We are running out of time to finish this project.
6.
You must not go into that
place, it is taboo.
7.
I was so sad the first time I broke up with her.
8.
Those black clouds are an omen of bad weather.
Some
questions using the new words/phrases. Try to use the words/phrases in your
answer.
1.
Do any of the gifts in the
story insinuate the same in your
culture?
2.
What would make you cut off a relationship with somebody?
Why would you break up with
somebody?
3.
On top of the things in the story, are
there any other things that would be bad gifts in your culture?
4.
What numbers or letters symbolize good or bad luck in your
culture? Why? What would be taboo?
5.
Do you feel that sometimes you
are running out of time to finish
things?
6.
Are there some omens that a relationship is not good
with somebody?