Love is in the air, and if you’re like many people, that means you’ve got one or two wedding invitations headed straight for your mailbox. As if deciding what to gift newlyweds isn’t hard enough, in China there are some culture-specific taboos you’ll want to be aware of before you get shopping.

Ones and Twos

The Chinese say: "好事成双(hǎoshì chéngshuāng)". Don’t give one blender, give two. Well, maybe not blenders. Who needs two blenders? Pillows. Give two pillows or something else in pairs.

Example:

Wǒ jīntiān yòu shēngzhí yòu zhòng cǎipiào, zhēn shì hǎoshì chéngshuāng a.
我   今天    又   升职        又    中       彩票，  真      是   好事     成双            啊。
Today I got promoted and won the lottery, good things really do happen in pairs.

No Black and White

Black and white, it’s a classic combination. But in China, do leave the black and white gift wrap at home. Together, black and white represent ...Read more. Instead, choose gifts that are red. Red represents ...Read more and you’ll see it everywhere during celebrations of all kinds. You can’t go wrong with red.

Hold the Napkins, Hold the Tears

Alright, so maybe you just want to keep things practical. You don’t want to buy them a gift they’ll never use. Blenders are a no, but how about a nice set of towels? ...Read more

Example:

Zhègè shǒupà hěn piàoliang.
这个    手帕      很    漂亮。
This handkerchief is so beautiful.

Cutting deep

I know what you’re thinking: Knives! Every kitchen needs knives. But in China, giving knives as wedding gifts isn’t just unimaginative, it’s out of the question. Receiving a knife brings to mind the phrase “一刀两断 (yìdāo liǎngduàn),” which means ...Read more.

Example:

Cóngcǐ yǐhòu, wǒ gēn nǐ yìdāoliǎngduàn.
从此     以后，我  跟   你  一刀两断。
From now onwards, I make to make clean break from you.

Wèiguó yǒu gè jiào Yuè Yángzǐ de rén dào yuǎnfāng qù xúnshī qiúxué.
 魏 国    有   个  叫    乐   羊子    的  人  到     远方        去  寻师    求学。
There was a man called Yue Yangzi in Wei State who went far away to study.

Yì nián hòu, Yuè Yángzǐ jiù huílái le.
一  年    后， 乐    羊子   就  回来 了。
A year after departing, he returned.

Qīzi wèn tā wèihé zhème zǎo jiù huíjiā le.
妻子 问  他  为何   这么    早  就  回家 了。
His wife asked why he came back so early.

Yuè Yángzǐ shuō: "chūmén shíjiān cháng le xiǎng jiā."
乐    羊子     说： “出门       时间     长     了  想    家。”  
He said, "I've been away so long, I just missed home."

Qīzi tīnghòu, náqǐ yì bǎ jiǎndāo bǎ gāng zhī hǎo de bù jiǎn duàn le.
妻子 听后，  拿起一 把  剪刀     把   刚    织  好   的  布  剪    断   了。
Then his wife took a pair of scissors and cut the cloth she had just woven.

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Example:

Mài Kè: Qǐngwèn fùjìn yǒu shūdiàn ma?
迈   克：请问       附近  有   书店      吗？
Mike: Excuse me. Is there a bookstore near here?

Zhāng Jié:  Nǐ yánzhe zhè tiáo lù yì zhí zǒu, ránhòu zuǒzhuǎn jiù néng kàn dào le.
张       洁：你  沿着     这   条   路一 直  走,    然后      左转       就   能    看   到  了。
Zhang Jie: Can you see that road? Just go straight along it, then, turn left, you can’t miss it.