お歳暮

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: お歳暮, read おせいぼ, means a year-end gift sent to thank someone for their help during the year.
• Basic usage: It is used when sending a gift to someone one is grateful to or describing the contents of a gift box that has arrived.
  • 毎年お世話になった方へお歳暮を贈っている。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Not every gift given near year-end
  • お歳暮 carries the purpose of expressing thanks at the end of the year. A birthday gift or クリスマスプレゼント given around the same time is not automatically an お歳暮.