ご祝儀(しゅうぎ)

Forms

ご (honorific) + 祝儀(しゅうぎ) (celebratory gift) → respectful celebratory gift

Cultural note

• Typical wedding amounts: ¥30,000 from a friend or colleague, ¥30,000–50,000 from a boss, ¥50,000–100,000 from a relative.
• Odd numbers of ¥10,000 notes are standard (¥10,000, ¥30,000, ¥50,000), since an even sum can be split. ¥20,000 is avoided by some and accepted by others, sometimes given as three notes (one ¥10,000 and two ¥5,000). ¥100,000 counts as a round sum.
• Amounts with 4 (死(し), death) or 9 (苦(く), suffering) are avoided, and new, crisp notes (新札(しんさつ)) are used.
• The money goes in a ご祝儀袋(しゅうぎぶくろ) (のし袋(ぶくろ)). For a wedding its 水引(みずひき) (decorative cord) is tied in 結(むす)び切(き)り, a knot that cannot be untied, not 蝶結(ちょうむす)び, which is for celebrations that can be repeated.

Related words

• 内祝(うちいわ)い (return gift for ご祝儀(しゅうぎ))
• 不祝儀(ふしゅうぎ) (condolence money - opposite)