noun
monetary offering; offertory
Money offered at a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple, typically thrown into a 賽銭箱 (offertory box) before praying.
神社で賽銭を入れてお参りした。
I put a monetary offering in the offertory box and prayed at the shrine.
賽銭はいくらが適当ですか。
How much is an appropriate monetary offering?
From 賽 (sai, 'dice' or 'offering') and 銭 (sen, 'coin' or 'money'). The kanji 賽 originally referred to a game of dice, but in this compound it is used for offerings, possibly from the idea of casting lots or making a votive offering.