酬

Reciprocity: the act of returning or responding to a gesture, service, or gift. This encompasses ritual/social contexts (returning a toast or exchanging wine cups) and economic/professional contexts (remuneration or payment for services rendered).

Used as a verb (the act of toasting or paying) and as a noun (the fee or recompense itself).

Unlike 赏 (shǎng), which denotes a bounty bestowed by a superior upon an inferior, 酬 implies remuneration for something earned or owed. Unlike 偿 (cháng), which is generally associated with the settlement of debts, penalties, or amends for loss, 酬 focuses on the neutral or positive circulation of social and professional obligations.

Graphical variants include U+9167 and U+91BB; these do not signal a shift in meaning.

The presence of the wine jar (酉) marks the word's origin in the literal act of returning a drink, which later expanded into the broader concept of reciprocal payment.