When we moved to Shanghai, we met a wonderful couple from Texas. They have a great Chinese driver whose only fault was that he tended to over-sleep in the mornings. Our friends found out that he didn't have an alarm clock and decided to buy him one so that he wouldn't be late in the future.

Fortunately, our friends spoke to their Chinese secretary about the matter prior to giving their driver a clock. They learned that according to Chinese custom, it is taboo to give someone a clock as a gift. The word clock is "zhong", which sounds exactly like the word for funeral. Thus, giving someone a clock, or "song zhong" in Chinese, sounds exactly like the phrase "attending some-one's funeral." Due to this similarity, a Chinese person would never give another Chinese person a clock as a gift.

As a result, our American friends spoke to their Chinese driver before giving him the alarm clock they got for him. They explained that the clock was not a gift to him, but was rather a work necessity. Their driver was not of-fended by the gesture. Instead, he appreciated their thoughtfulness and became more punctual.

(selected from 101 Stories for Foreigners to Understand Chinese People by Yi S. Ellis and Bryan D. Ellis, published by China Intercontinental Press in 2012)