Secret Santa & office Christmas parties in Chinese 交换礼物
jiāohuàn lǐwù
Gift exchange (Secret Santa) in Chinese is 交换礼物 (jiāo huàn lǐ wù).
Also searched for as: Secret Santa, office Christmas party, work Christmas party, gift exchange, Kris Kringle.
Draw a name, stick to the budget, survive the party. 15 words and phrases for Secret Santa & office Christmas parties in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Secret Santa can be translated as 秘密圣诞老人 (mì mì shèng dàn lǎo rén), but most Chinese speakers simply call it 交换礼物 (jiāo huàn lǐ wù), a gift exchange, a popular activity at Christmas parties, in classes and in offices. These words cover the whole ritual: you 抽签 (chōu qiān), draw names, stick to the 预算 (yù suàn), budget, keep it 保密 (bǎo mì), secret, and get through the office 圣诞派对 (shèng dàn pài duì) without anything too 尴尬 (gān gà), awkward.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 交换礼物 | jiāo huàn lǐ wù | to exchange presents; gift exchange |
| 秘密圣诞老人 | mì mì shèng dàn lǎo rén | Secret Santa |
| 抽签 | chōu qiān | to draw lots; to draw names |
| 抽到 | chōu dào | to draw (someone's name) |
| 预算 | yù suàn | budget |
| 保密 | bǎo mì | to keep something secret |
| 猜猜是谁 | cāi cai shì shéi | guess who |
| 搞笑礼物 | gǎo xiào lǐ wù | joke present |
| 拆礼物 | chāi lǐ wù | to open presents |
| 圣诞派对 | shèng dàn pài duì | Christmas party |
| 同事 | tóng shì | colleague |
| 着装要求 | zhuó zhuāng yāo qiú | dress code |
| 圣诞毛衣 | shèng dàn máo yī | Christmas jumper |
| 喝多了 | hē duō le | to have had too much to drink |
| 尴尬 | gān gà | awkward; embarrassing |
Usage tips
- 抽到 (chōu dào) is the natural way to say who you drew, as in 我抽到了小王 (wǒ chōu dào le Xiǎo Wáng), I got Xiao Wang; the same verb is used for a raffle, 抽奖 (chōu jiǎng).
- 派对 (pài duì) is a loanword from 'party' and sounds young and fun; for a more formal company event, 聚会 (jù huì), gathering, or 年会 (nián huì), annual party, may fit better.
- Traditionally, Chinese people often don't open a present in front of the giver, but at a gift exchange opening together, 拆礼物 (chāi lǐ wù), is the whole point.
Common mistakes
- Giving a clock as a present: 送钟 (sòng zhōng) sounds like 送终 (sòng zhōng), attending someone's death, so avoid clocks in a gift exchange with Chinese colleagues.
- Mixing up 喝多了 (hē duō le), to have had too much to drink, with 多喝了 (duō hē le), to drink more than planned, as in 多喝了一杯 (duō hē le yī bēi), had one extra glass.
Mini dialogue
- A办公室要玩秘密圣诞老人，你抽签了吗？Bàn gōng shì yào wán mì mì shèng dàn lǎo rén, nǐ chōu qiān le ma?The office is doing Secret Santa. Have you drawn a name yet?
- B抽了，天哪，我抽到了老板！Chōu le, tiān na, wǒ chōu dào le lǎo bǎn!Yes, and oh no, I got the boss!
- A哈哈，要保密哦。预算是多少？Hā hā, yào bǎo mì o. Yù suàn shì duō shao?Ha, keep it secret! What's the budget?
- B一百块以内。你觉得送什么好？Yī bǎi kuài yǐ nèi. Nǐ jué de sòng shén me hǎo?A hundred yuan or less. What do you think I should get?
- A别送搞笑礼物，太尴尬了。Bié sòng gǎo xiào lǐ wù, tài gān gà le.Don't get a joke present, that'd be too awkward.
- B好，那我送一盒好茶吧。Hǎo, nà wǒ sòng yī hé hǎo chá ba.OK, I'll get a box of good tea, then.
Example sentences
- 圣诞派对上我们要交换礼物。We're doing a gift exchange at the Christmas party.
- 今年办公室要玩秘密圣诞老人。The office is doing Secret Santa this year.
- 我们先抽签决定送给谁。First we draw names to decide who to buy for.
- 天哪，我抽到了老板！Oh no, I got the boss!
- 礼物预算是一百块以内。The budget is 100 yuan or less.
- 你抽到谁要保密哦。Keep it secret who you got.
- 猜猜是谁送你的？Guess who it's from?
- 他送了我一个搞笑礼物。He gave me a joke present.
- 大家一起拆礼物吧！Let's all open our presents together!
- 公司圣诞派对在周五晚上。The company Christmas party is on Friday night.
- 跟同事们一起过圣诞挺开心的。Celebrating Christmas with colleagues is good fun.
- 这个派对有着装要求吗？Is there a dress code for the party?
- 你那件圣诞毛衣也太丑了！That Christmas jumper of yours is so ugly!
- 别在公司派对上喝多了。Don't drink too much at the work party.
- 我抽到的人我根本不认识，好尴尬。I don't even know the person I got, so awkward.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Secret Santa & office Christmas parties speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Secret Santa & office Christmas parties to prepare your own answers to.