Abstract: So far, there has not been a general classification embracing all the types of gifts and their exchange patterns. Hence, this paper endeavors to fill up this research gap by adopting the approach of Semiotics. Based on two criteria, namely, the intentionality of the gift-texts and the temporal directionality of the interpersonal relationships, all the patterns of gift exchanges in the human culture could be concluded as three domain types with eight subtypes in this research. It is worth noting that different kinds of intentionality carried by gift-texts themselves，interweaving with varying degrees of relationships within specific social contexts, result in the variations of the gifts as well as their exchanging patterns.
Key Words: gift exchange, general classification, intentionality, temporal directionality, Semiotics
