贈 - A Good GIFT Is Steamed Clams

Readings & Meanings:

おく（る）

ソウ

to present a gift

Common Usage:

贈り

寄贈

Examples:

クリスマスの贈り物は何がいい？

おじいさんの遺品の本は、地元の小学校に寄贈された。

Translations:

What's a good Christmas present?

The books my grandfather left when he died were donated to the local elementary school.

Radical:

貝 on the left. When Kai-hen is involved, think "valuable."

The part on the right derives from 曾. You can see this in 贈's previous incarnation:


曾 is a pictograph of a cooking stove with a steaming basket on the top, with wisps of steam piling up upon each other. The abstract idea is "pile up."

So, 貝 + 曾 = add more possessions to the ones you already have.

Important:

There's another おくる, with a similar meaning.

送る means to send (mail, wishes, people, anything).

贈る specifically means to give a present.

References:

http://www.kanjinetworks.com/indices/radindex.html
http://www.thejapanesepage.com/node/kanji/o.htm