礼金 (lǐ jīn) — cash gift (given at weddings, funerals, or other life events)

Definition

Cash gift given at weddings, funerals, or other life events, typically handed over in a red envelope. Not a general 'gift' (礼物) — 礼金 is specifically money.

noun
cash gift (given at weddings, funerals, or other life events)

Examples

  • ，礼金。
    Cān jiā hūn lǐ de shí hou, wǒ zhǔn bèi le yì qiān yuán lǐ jīn.
    When attending the wedding, I prepared a cash gift of one thousand yuan.
  • 礼金，。
    Tā men bù shōu lǐ jīn, zhǐ yào zhù fú jiù hǎo.
    They don't accept cash gifts; they just want blessings.
  • ，礼金。
    Zài zhōng guó, gěi lǐ jīn shí yào yòng hóng bāo zhuāng zhe.
    In China, when giving a cash gift, you should put it in a red envelope.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

礼lǐgift
金jīnmoney

礼 (gift/rite) and 金 (money) combine to mean money given as a gift.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 禮; 礼 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
礻Written in full as示shìaltar
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ禮lǐ
Same sound today

The traditional form 禮 pairs 礻 (altar) with 豊, a sound part, for performing rites at the altar; the simplified 礼 is a later shorthand.

Open 礼 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

金 was drawn with marks for two pieces of metal, along with a part that gave its sound; it first meant copper, then metals and gold.

Open 金 →

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