Will this be a taboo gift?

[flynnfrogg]

I am heading to Singapore. I want to bring gifts of course for my Chinese in-laws and friends. I have been told that Multi-vitamins and other supplements (like Gingko pills, Fish Oil etc) are all very expensive there (and relatively cheap in Australia). But I hesistate .... will this type of gifts be taboo? (like scissors, knives etc) Will they be regarded as 药?

Flynn Frogg

[skylee]

I don't think so. You could also consider giving manuka honey and Julique hand cream.

[Daan]

Check with Singapore customs, though: they may want you to declare such items.

[Sam Reeves]

Any gift related to promoting health is always well received by Chinese... although gifts such as vitamins and the like, are generally given to grandparents. But it can't hurt.

The only taboo gifts I know of are clocks = death and anything involving the number four (again, death).

Sometimes it's regional as well, so where I am, a knife would be a strange gift, but no one would care about the cutting/separating connotations... unless you cut a pear in half.

Just don't give your father in law a green hat (I'm sure you weren't intending to anyway), as if he wears it, it means his wife has 'another lover'.... and whatever you do, don't wear a green hat yourself.

[civic94]

dont ever give a person a clock.. it means its almost time to die

[jbradfor]

civic94, do you mean Chinese person or people in general? If the former, that taboo is due to something different; if in general, that's a rather broad statement to cover all cultures, do you think?

[jkhsu]

The only taboo gifts I know of are clocks = death and anything involving the number four (again, death).

dont ever give a person a clock.. it means its almost time to die

The reason that you don't want to give a clock as a gift to a Chinese person is because the character for clock "钟" sounds like "终" which means "end / finish". However, giving wristwatches is OK. There's conflicting info when you search online in English but I can confirm with my Chinese friends that giving a wristwatch, especially a name brand one, is perfectly fine. Try searching "送手表" (giving a wristwatch) and you'll see that it's not a negative thing at all.

This is a great link that summarizes the significance (all good) of giving a wristwatch in various scenarios.

http://zhidao.baidu....estion/99930791

The only scenario not listed is when a younger person gives an older person (assuming retirement age) a wristwatch. I'm not sure about that one.

[jbradfor]

Humm, my understand is that the taboo comes from that fact that to carry a coffin (送棺) sounds a lot like to give a clock (送钟). It sounds closer in Cantonese: sung3 gun1 vs sung3 zung1.

[jkhsu]

@jbradfor: To clarify, "送钟" which means giving a clock as a gift and "送终" which means to pay one's last respects both sound the same in Mandarin. Maybe a Cantonese speaker can verify the Cantonese version. I have no clue.

[imron]

I was under the impression it was due to 送钟 having the exact pronunciation of 送终.

[jbradfor]

You're right, 送终 is sung3 zung1 as well, same as 送钟. Live and learn!

[yialanliu]

Some other fun taboo gifts:

Don't give a pair of shoes to your gf/wife

Don't give 250 of anything especially 250 RMB at a wedding. That's a double no-no. (1 count of not enough money and 1 count of 250).

Historical fun gifts:

Giving a fan in autumn to a teacher telling the teacher that he is not needed anymore like a fan not needed in the fall. That's a good story to read haha.