A gift or tip given to express gratitude or maintain good relations, often in business or social contexts. Can imply a customary or obligatory present.
I sent a mid-year gift to our business partners.
I brought a small gift to the neighbors as a moving-in greeting.
A gift given with the intention of influencing someone's decision or gaining unfair advantage. Often used in political or business corruption contexts.
It was revealed that the politician had received bribes from contractors.
賄賂 is a direct term for bribe, often used in legal or formal contexts. 付け届け can be a euphemism for a bribe disguised as a gift.
贈り物 is a general term for a gift, without the nuance of obligation or social custom that 付け届け carries.
Standard spelling; the most common written form.
Simplified variant; less common but still encountered.
Irregular okurigana usage; rarely used.
Irregular okurigana usage with old kanji forms; very rare.
Compound of 付け (tsuke, 'attaching' or 'adding') and 届け (todoke, 'delivery' or 'notification'), literally meaning something delivered as an attachment or offering. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has long been used to refer to gifts given in social or business relationships.