1.
gift money envelope; congratulatory money envelope
A decorated envelope used to present monetary gifts at celebrations, especially weddings. Features ornamental paper cords (mizuhiki) and is sold at stationery stores and convenience stores.
ご祝儀袋を買いに行く。
I'm going to buy a gift money envelope.
ご祝儀袋に三万円入れた。
I put 30,000 yen in the gift money envelope.
結婚式に出席するので、ご祝儀袋の書き方を調べた。
Since I'm attending a wedding, I looked up how to write on a gift money envelope.
A compound of ご祝儀 (congratulatory gift, tip) and 袋 (bag, envelope). These special envelopes are an essential part of Japanese gift-giving culture, particularly for weddings.
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
For weddings, the standard gift amount is 三万円 (30,000 yen) for friends and colleagues. Odd numbers are preferred because they cannot be evenly divided (symbolizing the couple staying together). The envelope should be written with the giver's full name using a brush pen (筆ペン). Different styles of 水引 (decorative cords) are used for different occasions — a tied bow for weddings indicates a one-time celebration.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- ご祝儀袋に名前を書く — to write one's name on the envelope
- ご祝儀袋にお金を入れる — to put money in the envelope
- ご祝儀袋の選び方 — how to choose the right envelope
RELATED TERMS:
- ご祝儀 — congratulatory gift money; the money itself
- 水引 — decorative paper cords on gift envelopes
- 不祝儀袋 — condolence money envelope; the counterpart used at funerals
- 香典袋 — incense money envelope; another term for funeral gift envelopes