Chinese word

红包

Pronunciation

Pinyinhóng bāo

Meaning

  • nounlucky money

Example

我给你一个红包。wǒ gěi nǐ yí gè hóng bāo

I give you one red envelope.

Illustration for 红包 (lucky money)

More examples

公司群里大家抢电子红包，气氛很热闹。gōng sī qún lǐ dà jiā qiǎng diàn zi hóng bāo qì fēn hěn rè nào

In the company group chat, everyone scrambled for digital lucky money, and the atmosphere was lively.

Core concept

A red packet carries money as a visible sign of good wishes at a festive or congratulatory moment.

Common phrases

  • 给红包gěi hóng bāo

    give lucky money

  • 抢红包qiǎng hóng bāo

    grab lucky money

  • 电子红包diàn zi hóng bāo

    digital lucky money

Similar words

压岁钱yā suì qián: A Lunar New Year cash gift for children.
礼金lǐ jīn: Formal gift money presented at a wedding or another celebration.

Definition in Chinese

节日期间或表示祝贺时，把钱放在红色信封里赠送的礼物或礼金。jié rì qī jiān huò biǎo shì zhù hè shí bǎ qián fàng zài hóng sè xìn fēng lǐ zèng sòng de lǐ wù huò lǐ jīn

Word origin

红包 (hóngbāo, "red packet") combines 红 (hóng, "red"), a traditional sign of good fortune, with 包 (bāo, "packet"), giving the term its image of money wrapped for a favorable occasion.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, 红包 (hóngbāo, "red packet") can also mean a digital cash gift, so 发红包 (fā hóngbāo, "send a red packet") describes sending money through a phone rather than handing over paper.

Other meanings

  • wedding gift moneynoun
  • cash giftnoun

Related words

  • 电子红包diàn zi hóng bāodigital lucky moneynoun

Word lists with this word