送礼物(sòng lǐ wù) - to give a present in Mandarin

送礼物 (sòng lǐwù) means "to give a present": 送 (sòng) means "to give, to see someone off" and 礼物 (lǐwù) means "gift, present". Unlike 做饭 (zuòfàn), where the object is fixed inside the compound, 礼物 (lǐwù) here can be swapped for whatever is being given, so 送礼物 (sòng lǐwù) works as a template phrase rather than a fixed one.

You will hear it as 给他送礼物 (gěi tā sòng lǐwù), "give him a present", or 生日的时候送礼物 (shēngrì de shíhou sòng lǐwù), "give presents at birthdays". 送 (sòng) alone also means "to see someone off" or "to deliver", so context decides the meaning; paired with 礼物 (lǐwù) it is unambiguous.

Gift-giving culture matters in China: avoid giving clocks, 钟 (zhōng), because 送钟 (sòng zhōng) sounds identical to 送终 (sòngzhōng), "to attend a funeral", and avoid sets of four, since 四 (sì) echoes 死 (sǐ), "death". 送礼物 (sòng lǐwù) is polite, but the choice of gift is never neutral.