The article is in the context of sociolinguistic and linguocultural researches related to theoretical and empirical issues of comprehensive study of concepts. It stands in the gap of such researches as it examines the “gift” concept which is not reflected in the currently existing works. The gift is a very important part of social interaction both in business and everyday life. The deepening cooperation between Russia and China put forward the study of the Russian and Chinese mentality and culture that have practical importance for many professionals, involved in the orbit of Russian-Chinese cooperation. This article offers a comparative analysis of the Russian and Chinese associations related to the “gift” concept, which reveals the universal and the national in their semantics. The knowledge of these features will enable communicants to overcome the barriers of misunderstanding.