Red Packet Calculator 🧧
How much should you put in a hongbao? Three questions, instant answer — with lucky-number suggestions.
What is the occasion?
Your relationship with the recipient?
Where does the recipient live?
Wedding Red Packet
won't cause offence
leaves a good impression
🛍 Make it complete — Recommended add-ons
Premium Red Envelope Sets — beautiful traditional designs → Premium Tea Gift Box — always appropriate, any occasion → Complete Chinese Gift-Giving Rules Guide →Amounts are community-based estimates. Actual expectations vary by region, family, and relationship. When in doubt, ask a trusted Chinese friend.
The Complete Hongbao Guide for Foreigners
Red packets (红包, hóngbāo) are one of the most common — and most anxiety-inducing — parts of Chinese social life for foreigners. Give too little and you look cheap. Give the wrong amount and you accidentally invoke bad luck. Here's what you need to know.
Why the amount matters
In Chinese culture, a red packet is not just a gift — it's a social signal. The amount communicates how much you value the relationship and how seriously you're taking the occasion. Getting it wrong has real social consequences, especially in formal contexts like weddings.
Critical rule: Never give an amount containing the digit 4 (四, sì) — it sounds like death (死, sǐ). ¥40, ¥400, ¥4,000 are all unlucky. Stick to amounts ending in 6, 8, or 9.
Lucky numbers for red packets
- 6 (六, liù) — smooth progress, good luck
- 8 (八, bā) — sounds like "prosper" (发, fā); most auspicious
- 9 (九, jiǔ) — sounds like "longevity" (久, jiǔ); ideal for birthdays
- Popular amounts: ¥66, ¥88, ¥168, ¥188, ¥666, ¥888, ¥1,688
Wedding red packets — the key rule
The amount you give at a wedding should at minimum cover your seat at the banquet. Banquet costs range from ¥300–600 per guest in tier-2 cities, and ¥600–1,000+ in tier-1 cities. Giving less than the "seat cost" means the couple actually loses money from having you there.
Digital red packets on WeChat
WeChat hongbao (微信红包) follow slightly different norms. Group red packets of ¥8.88, ¥66.66, or ¥88.88 are common for celebrations in a group chat. For individual transfers on major occasions, use the same amounts you would for a physical envelope.