ご祝儀貧乏
Meaning: Being broke from giving too many wedding gifts — the financial strain of attending multiple weddings in a short period.
ご祝儀貧乏 is a widely relatable complaint among Japanese adults in their late 20s and 30s, when friends and colleagues are getting married in waves. With the standard ご祝儀 at ¥30,000 per wedding, attending 3-4 weddings in a season can easily cost over ¥100,000 — a serious hit to anyone's budget. Adding in outfit costs, travel, and 二次会 (after-party) fees makes it even worse. The term is used with wry humor on social media.
Examples
- 今月3件も結婚式あってご祝儀貧乏がやばい。 这个月有3场婚礼,礼金破产要命了。Este mes tengo tres bodas y la ruina por los goshugi es terrible.이번 달에 결혼식이 3건이나 있어서 축의금 빈곤이 심각해.
- 20代後半からご祝儀貧乏になるって聞いてたけど、まさにその通りだった。 都说到了二十七八岁就会礼金破产,果然一点没错。Me habían dicho que a partir de los veintitantos te arruinas con los goshugi, y es exactamente lo que ha pasado.20대 후반부터 축의금 빈곤이 온다고 들었는데, 정말 그 말 그대로였어.
- ご祝儀貧乏すぎて自分の結婚式の費用が貯まらないっていう皮肉。 礼金穷到连自己结婚的钱都攒不出来,真是讽刺。Qué ironía: estoy tan arruinado por los goshugi que no puedo ahorrar para mi propia boda.축의금 빈곤이 너무 심해서 정작 내 결혼식 비용이 안 모인다는 아이러니.
Pronunciation
/ɡo.ɕuː.ɡi.biɴ.boː/
Usage Guide
Context: friends, social media, daily conversation
Tone: humorous, self-deprecating
✓ Do Say
- 秋のご祝儀貧乏が怖すぎる。 (I'm terrified of autumn wedding gift bankruptcy.)秋天的礼金破产太可怕了。Me da pánico la ruina de los goshugi en otoño.가을 축의금 빈곤이 너무 무서워.
- ご祝儀貧乏で今月外食できない。 (I'm so broke from wedding gifts I can't eat out this month.)礼金破产到这个月都不能下馆子了。Estoy tan arruinado por los goshugi que este mes no puedo salir a comer fuera.축의금 빈곤 때문에 이번 달은 외식도 못 해.
✗ Don't Say
- 結婚する友達の前で「ご祝儀貧乏になる」と嘆くのは避ける (Avoid complaining about ご祝儀貧乏 in front of friends who are getting married — it makes them feel guilty)不要在即将结婚的朋友面前抱怨'要礼金破产了'——会让他们感到愧疚Evita quejarte del goshugi-binbo delante de amigos que se van a casar: les harás sentir culpables.결혼하는 친구 앞에서 '축의금 빈곤이야'라고 한탄하는 것은 피한다 — 상대가 미안해하게 된다
Common Mistakes
- Using ご祝儀貧乏 too seriously — it's meant to be a light, humorous complaint. Using it in a genuinely angry or resentful tone changes the nuance
Origin & History
Compound of ご祝儀 (wedding gift money) + 貧乏 (poor/poverty). A humorous self-deprecating term that emerged naturally as young adults faced the financial reality of Japan's concentrated wedding seasons.
Cultural Context
Era: 2000s onward, peak complaints during wedding seasons
Generation: Late 20s to 30s primarily
Social background: Universal among adults attending multiple weddings
Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Wedding season peaks are June (ジューンブライド) and autumn. Some people deliberately stagger wedding attendance to manage costs.
More From This Topic
More from Money & Shopping
Flashcards, quizzes, audio pronunciation & spaced repetition — all free