Meaning
Where the everyday verb あげる simply means "to give," 贈 adds formality and ceremony. It appears when something precious changes hands deliberately — flowers handed to a friend, an award presented at a ceremony, property transferred in a legal agreement. The same character also covers bribery, the darker end of formal giving.
The character has two components. At the bottom sits 貝 (かい), the shell radical. Ancient shells served as currency, so 貝 marks kanji connected to money and value — 財, 買, 賛. The upper component, 曾, supplies the reading ゾウ and evokes layering or accumulation. Together they suggest gathering something of value to pass it on to another person — a layered act of generosity rooted in social exchange.
At 18 strokes, 贈 is a grade 8 (secondary-school) kanji that appears regularly in newspapers, formal correspondence, and legal filings. Any text touching on gift-giving customs, awards ceremonies, or corruption charges will draw on it.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
贈 has two on'yomi: ゾウ and ソウ. In practice, ゾウ is the reading that matters — it appears in all common compound words. ソウ is a classical variant that rarely surfaces in modern Japanese.
ゾウ — The dominant on'yomi, found across everyday, formal, and legal vocabulary.
- 贈呈 (zōtei) — formal ceremonial presentation of a gift, award, or certificate
- 贈位 (zōi) — posthumous conferral of a court rank or title upon a deceased person
- 贈答 (zōtō) — the mutual exchange of gifts between two parties, especially during seasonal occasions like お中元 and お歳暮
- 贈与 (zōyo) — a gift or donation in the legal sense; covers monetary gifts and property transfers
- 贈収賄 (zōshūwai) — bribery (both giving and receiving); a term that appears frequently in legal and political reporting
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi is おく・る, with る as okurigana. This is the verb used in everyday spoken and written Japanese for giving a gift or sending something as a gesture of goodwill. The dot (・) marks where the kanji ends and the inflectional ending begins.
- 贈る (okuru) — to give as a gift, to present; e.g., 花を贈る (to give flowers as a gift)
- 贈り物 (okurimono) — a gift, a present; one of the most common words from this reading
- 贈り主 (okurinushi) — the giver, the person who presents a gift
Common Words & Compounds
Gift-giving runs deep in Japanese social life, so 贈 turns up across very different contexts — warm personal gestures, formal ceremonies, legal transactions, and criminal charges alike. Key compounds by theme:
Personal Gifts & Giving
- 贈り物 (okurimono) — a gift, a present given to someone
- 贈り主 (okurinushi) — the giver, sender of a gift
- 贈答品 (zōtōhin) — gift items; goods exchanged as presents during seasonal occasions
Formal Presentation & Ceremony
- 贈呈 (zōtei) — formal presentation; used when an award, book, or certificate is ceremonially given
- 贈呈式 (zōteishiki) — a presentation ceremony, award ceremony
- 寄贈 (kizō) — a donation to an institution (e.g., donating books to a library)
- 追贈 (tsuizō) — a posthumous award or title given after death
Legal & Financial
- 贈与 (zōyo) — a gift or donation in the legal sense; transfer of property or money
- 贈与税 (zōyozei) — gift tax; levied on the recipient of a financial gift
- 贈賄 (zōwai) — the act of giving a bribe
- 贈収賄 (zōshūwai) — bribery (both giving and receiving); a serious criminal charge
Example Sentences
誕生日に友達へ花を贈った。
Tanjōbi ni tomodachi e hana wo okutta.
I gave flowers to my friend as a birthday gift.
母の日に何を贈ればいいですか？
Haha no hi ni nani wo okureba ii desu ka?
What should I give as a gift for Mother's Day?
卒業式で先生に贈り物をした。
Sotsugyōshiki de sensei ni okurimono wo shita.
We gave the teacher a gift at the graduation ceremony.
市長は図書館に本を寄贈した。
Shichō wa toshokan ni hon wo kizō shita.
The mayor donated books to the library.
彼女は退職する上司に記念品を贈呈した。
Kanojo wa taishoku suru jōshi ni kinenhin wo zōtei shita.
She formally presented a commemorative gift to her retiring boss.
お中元の季節になると、贈答品を交換する習慣がある。
Ochūgen no kisetsu ni naru to, zōtōhin wo kōkan suru shūkan ga aru.
When the midsummer gift-giving season arrives, there is a custom of exchanging presents.
贈与税の申告を忘れないように注意してください。
Zōyozei no shinkoku wo wasurenai yō ni chūi shite kudasai.
Please be careful not to forget to file your gift tax return.
その政治家は贈収賄の疑いで逮捕された。
Sono seijika wa zōshūwai no utagai de taihō sareta.
That politician was arrested on suspicion of bribery.
彼は亡くなった後、国から勲章を追贈された。
Kare wa nakunatta ato, kuni kara kunshō wo tsuizō sareta.
After he passed away, he was posthumously awarded a medal of honor by the state.
結婚のお祝いに、両親から高級な食器セットを贈られた。
Kekkon no oiwai ni, ryōshin kara kōkyū na shokki setto wo okuareta.
As a wedding gift, my parents gave me a luxury dishware set.
Memory Tip
Picture the radical 貝 — a shining shell that once served as currency — sitting at the base of this character like a small treasure chest. Above it, 曾 resembles stacked layers: think of wrapping paper and ribbons piled neatly on top of a gift. The image writes itself: you are layering something precious to hand to someone who matters. Those 18 strokes are not accidental — they reflect the deliberate care that Japanese gift-giving culture demands. 贈 = treasure + layers = something valuable, wrapped with intent.