When you want to say “to write a letter” in Chinese, the phrase you need is 写信 (xiě xìn). It’s a straightforward combination of two characters: 写 (xiě), meaning “to write,” and 信 (xìn), meaning “letter.”
You can use 写信 in sentences just like you would use “to write a letter” in English. For example, if you want to say “I am writing a letter,” you would say 我正在写信 (wǒ zhèngzài xiě xìn). It’s a common and very useful phrase for everyday communication.
When using “写信” (xiě xìn), it means the action of writing a letter. It’s a straightforward verb-object structure where “写” (xiě) is the verb “to write” and “信” (xìn) is the noun “letter.” This phrase is commonly used and is easy to remember. While it literally translates to 'write letter,' it functions as a single unit meaning 'to write a letter.' You can use it in sentences just like you would use 'to write an email' or 'to write a message.'
§ Where you hear 写信
You'll encounter 写信 (xiě xìn) in various contexts, from casual conversations about staying in touch to more formal discussions about communication. While email and messaging apps are dominant now, letter writing still holds a place, especially in certain situations. Let's look at some common scenarios.
§ In Daily Life and Personal Communication
Even if you don't write many physical letters, you might still hear people talk about the act of writing to someone. It can be used metaphorically or in reference to older practices, or for specific kinds of communication.
我很久没给家人写信了。
- Translation hint
- I haven't written a letter to my family for a long time.
奶奶喜欢手写信。
- Translation hint
- Grandma likes to write letters by hand.
§ In a Work or Official Context
While emails are common in business, formal letters still exist. You might write a formal letter for:
- Job applications (求职信 - qiúzhíxìn)
- Official complaints (投诉信 - tóusùxìn)
- Resignations (辞职信 - cízhíxìn)
- Recommendations (推荐信 - tuījiànxìn)
In these cases, you are literally 'writing a letter'.
他需要给公司写信。
- Translation hint
- He needs to write a letter to the company.
请给校长写信。
- Translation hint
- Please write a letter to the principal.
§ In Academic Settings and News
In academic or news contexts, '写信' often refers to formal correspondence or historical accounts.
历史学家正在研究这些古老的写信习惯。
- Translation hint
- Historians are studying these ancient letter-writing customs.
新闻报道说，总统写信给国际组织。
- Translation hint
- The news reported that the president wrote a letter to an international organization.
In all these examples, the core meaning of 'to write a letter' remains consistent. Pay attention to the context to understand the formality and purpose of the communication.
Alright, let's talk about some common mistakes English speakers make when using the Chinese phrase 写信 (xiě xìn), which means "to write a letter." While it seems straightforward, there are a few traps to avoid. Understanding these will help you sound more natural and avoid confusion.
§ Mistake 1: Confusing 写信 with writing other things
The biggest mistake is using 写信 for writing anything that isn't a physical letter. In English, we say "write an email," "write a report," "write a book." In Chinese, 写信 is specifically for letters, typically those you'd put in an envelope and mail. For other forms of writing, you need different verbs.
- DEFINITION
- To write a letter. This implies a physical, mailed letter.
Here’s how to say "write" for other things:
-
To write an email: 写邮件 (xiě yóujiàn) or 发邮件 (fā yóujiàn – to send an email, often implying writing it too).
我需要写一封邮件给他。(Wǒ xūyào xiě yī fēng yóujiàn gěi tā.) - I need to write an email to him.
-
To write a report: 写报告 (xiě bàogào).
学生们正在写报告。(Xuéshengmen zhèngzài xiě bàogào.) - The students are writing reports.
-
To write an article/essay: 写文章 (xiě wénzhāng).
他喜欢写文章。(Tā xǐhuān xiě wénzhāng.) - He likes to write articles.
§ Mistake 2: Overusing it in modern contexts
While still valid, 写信 is becoming less common in daily life as digital communication takes over. Many learners tend to default to it when they mean "to send a message" or "to communicate in writing." In today's China, you're far more likely to send a WeChat message or an email than a physical letter. So, consider the context.
-
To send a message (on WeChat, etc.): 发信息 (fā xìnxī) or just 发微信 (fā Wēixìn).
我给他发了条信息。(Wǒ gěi tā fā le tiáo xìnxī.) - I sent him a message.
§ Mistake 3: Forgetting the measure word (if specifying number of letters)
If you want to say "write *a* letter" or "write *two* letters," you need a measure word. The common measure word for letters is 封 (fēng).
- DEFINITION
- A measure word for letters, emails, or other sealed correspondence.
Correct usage:
我昨天写了一封信给我的朋友。(Wǒ zuótiān xiě le yī fēng xìn gěi wǒ de péngyou.) - Yesterday I wrote a letter to my friend.
If you just say 我写信 (Wǒ xiě xìn), it generally means "I write letters" as an activity or habit, not necessarily a specific one.
§ Key Takeaway
When you learn a word like 写信, it's easy to overgeneralize its meaning based on English. Always remember its specific context in Chinese. 写信 is for physical letters. For other forms of writing or communication, use the appropriate Chinese verbs and nouns.
Practice using the correct terms for different types of writing. This will significantly improve your fluency and accuracy in Chinese.
Nivel de dificultad
Common characters, simple structure.
Common characters, simple structure.
Clear pronunciation, direct meaning.
Clear pronunciation, direct meaning.
Qué aprender después
Requisitos previos
Aprende después
Avanzado
Gramática que debes saber
When expressing who the letter is written to, use '给 (gěi) + person + 写信 (xiě xìn)'.
他 给 妈妈 写信。 (Tā gěi māma xiě xìn.) - He writes a letter to his mom.
To specify the content of the letter, you can put the content after '写信 (xiě xìn)'.
我 写信 告诉 他 这个 好消息。 (Wǒ xiě xìn gàosù tā zhège hǎo xiāoxi.) - I wrote a letter to tell him this good news.
To indicate the recipient and content, you can combine the structures: '给 (gěi) + person + 写信 (xiě xìn) + content'.
她 给 朋友 写信 问候。 (Tā gěi péngyǒu xiě xìn wènhòu.) - She wrote a letter to her friend to greet them.
You can use a time word before or after the subject to indicate when the action happens.
昨天 我 写信 了。 (Zuótiān wǒ xiě xìn le.) - Yesterday I wrote a letter.
To express the frequency of writing letters, use frequency adverbs like '经常 (jīngcháng)' (often) or '每天 (měitiān)' (every day).
他 经常 写信。 (Tā jīngcháng xiě xìn.) - He often writes letters.
Ejemplos por nivel
老师建议我们多写信，这样可以提高我们的书写能力。
The teacher suggested we write more letters to improve our writing skills.
他每天晚上都会给远方的家人写信，分享他的生活点滴。
Every evening, he writes letters to his family far away, sharing snippets of his life.
为了表达感谢，我决定亲手写信给帮助过我的朋友。
To express my gratitude, I decided to personally write letters to my friends who helped me.
虽然现在科技发达，但写信仍然是一种有温度的交流方式。
Although technology is advanced now, writing letters is still a warm way of communication.
她经常写信给杂志社，发表自己的观点和看法。
She often writes letters to magazine editors to express her opinions and views.
在重要的节日里，我喜欢写信给亲朋好友，送上我的祝福。
On important holidays, I like to write letters to my relatives and friends to send my blessings.
他曾经写信给国家领导人，提出了许多宝贵的建议。
He once wrote letters to national leaders, offering many valuable suggestions.
为了纪念这段友谊，我们约定每年都要写信给对方。
To commemorate this friendship, we agreed to write letters to each other every year.
Colocaciones comunes
Frases Comunes
我需要写信给他。
I need to write a letter to him.
她喜欢写信。
She likes writing letters.
你多久写信一次？
How often do you write letters?
我昨晚写信了。
I wrote a letter last night.
他正在写信。
He is writing a letter.
写信是一种传统。
Writing letters is a tradition.
请给我写信。
Please write to me.
我们应该写信。
We should write a letter.
他不再写信了。
He no longer writes letters.
写信很有趣。
Writing letters is interesting.
Practica en la vida real
Contextos reales
Talking about personal communication methods
- 你喜欢写信吗？ (Do you like to write letters?)
- 写信很浪漫。 (Writing letters is very romantic.)
- 现在很少人写信了。 (Few people write letters now.)
Discussing past communication habits
- 我小时候经常写信给朋友。 (When I was young, I often wrote letters to friends.)
- 以前的人都写信。 (People in the past all wrote letters.)
- 你还记得写信的感觉吗？ (Do you still remember the feeling of writing letters?)
Explaining a task or chore
- 我需要写信给我的客户。 (I need to write a letter to my client.)
- 请你帮我写信。 (Please help me write a letter.)
- 他正在写信。 (He is writing a letter.)
Comparing with other communication forms
- 写信比发邮件更正式。 (Writing a letter is more formal than sending an email.)
- 打电话和写信不一样。 (Calling and writing a letter are different.)
- 写信需要更多时间。 (Writing a letter takes more time.)
Talking about the content of a letter
- 你想写信说什么？ (What do you want to say in the letter?)
- 信里写了什么？ (What was written in the letter?)
- 我写信告诉他这个消息。 (I wrote a letter to tell him this news.)
Inicios de conversación
"你最近一次写信是什么时候？ (When was the last time you wrote a letter?)"
"你觉得写信有什么好处？ (What do you think are the benefits of writing letters?)"
"你觉得写信是过时的沟通方式吗？ (Do you think writing letters is an outdated way of communication?)"
"如果你要写信给一个很久没见的朋友，你会写什么？ (If you were to write a letter to a friend you haven't seen in a long time, what would you write?)"
"你喜欢手写信还是打字信？ (Do you prefer handwritten letters or typed letters?)"
Temas para diario
想象你给未来的自己写一封信，你会写些什么？ (Imagine you are writing a letter to your future self. What would you write?)
描述一次你收到一封重要信件的经历。这封信是什么内容？ (Describe an experience where you received an important letter. What was the content of this letter?)
如果你可以写信给历史上的任何一个人，你会选择谁？你会写些什么？ (If you could write a letter to anyone in history, who would you choose? What would you write?)
写一封信给一个你从未见过的陌生人，分享你生活中的一个有趣故事。 (Write a letter to a stranger you've never met, sharing an interesting story from your life.)
思考并写下写信和发信息或打电话之间的主要区别。 (Think about and write down the main differences between writing a letter and sending a message or making a call.)
Ponte a prueba 30 preguntas
What does the speaker like to do?
Did you write a letter?
What does she often do for her friends?
Read this aloud:
我正在写信。
Focus: 写信 (xiě xìn)
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
他不喜欢写信。
Focus: 不喜欢 (bù xǐ huān)
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
你可以写信给我吗？
Focus: 可以 (kě yǐ)
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Imagine you want to invite a friend to your birthday party. Write a short message to them. Try to include the phrase "写信" (xiě xìn - to write a letter) in your message, even if it's just to say you usually don't write letters anymore.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
你好！我的生日派对快到了。我很少写信，但是我想邀请你。你能来吗？ (Hi! My birthday party is coming soon. I rarely write letters, but I want to invite you. Can you come?)
Write a simple sentence describing what your mother does in her free time. Try to include "写信" (xiě xìn - to write a letter).
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
我的妈妈有空的时候喜欢写信给她的朋友。 (My mom likes to write letters to her friends when she has free time.)
You want to tell someone you plan to write a letter. Write a short sentence saying this. For example, "我明天要写信。"
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
我明天要写信给我的老师。 (I will write a letter to my teacher tomorrow.)
小明喜欢做什么？ (What does Xiao Ming like to do?)
Read this passage:
小明喜欢写信。他常常写信给他的爷爷和奶奶。他们住在中国。 (Xiao Ming likes to write letters. He often writes letters to his grandpa and grandma. They live in China.)
小明喜欢做什么？ (What does Xiao Ming like to do?)
根据文章，小明喜欢写信。 (According to the passage, Xiao Ming likes to write letters.)
根据文章，小明喜欢写信。 (According to the passage, Xiao Ming likes to write letters.)
她为什么很高兴？ (Why is she happy?)
Read this passage:
她很高兴因为她收到了一封信。这是她的朋友写的。她会写信回复她的朋友。 (She is very happy because she received a letter. This was written by her friend. She will write a letter to reply to her friend.)
她为什么很高兴？ (Why is she happy?)
文章中说她很高兴因为她收到了一封信。 (The passage states she is very happy because she received a letter.)
文章中说她很高兴因为她收到了一封信。 (The passage states she is very happy because she received a letter.)
我用什么语言写信？ (What language do I use to write letters?)
Read this passage:
我有一个中国朋友。他不懂英文，所以我用中文写信给他。他很高兴。 (I have a Chinese friend. He doesn't understand English, so I write letters to him in Chinese. He is very happy.)
我用什么语言写信？ (What language do I use to write letters?)
文章中说“我用中文写信给他”。 (The passage says "I write letters to him in Chinese".)
文章中说“我用中文写信给他”。 (The passage says "I write letters to him in Chinese".)
Which of the following means 'to write a letter'?
写信 (xiě xìn) means to write a letter. 打电话 (dǎ diànhuà) means to make a phone call. 看书 (kàn shū) means to read a book. 吃饭 (chī fàn) means to eat a meal.
My friend likes to _____ to her family every month.
The sentence needs a verb that means 'to write letters' to fit the context of communicating with family.
Which sentence correctly uses '写信'?
写信 (xiě xìn) is correctly used as 'to write a letter' in the first option. The other options make no sense.
You can use '写信' to say 'to write a book'.
No, '写信' specifically means 'to write a letter'. To say 'to write a book', you would typically say '写书' (xiě shū).
If you want to send a message to someone far away, you can 写信.
Yes, '写信' (to write a letter) is a way to send a message to someone, especially if they are far away.
The word '写信' is only used for emails.
No, '写信' primarily refers to writing a physical letter. While it can sometimes be used in a broader sense for written communication, its core meaning is a traditional letter. For email, you'd typically say '发邮件' (fā yóujiàn) or '写邮件' (xiě yóujiàn).
Choose the correct sentence: My grandmother likes to write letters.
The phrase '写信' (xiě xìn) specifically means 'to write a letter'. '写书' is to write a book, '写字' is to write characters, and '写电话' is not a common phrase for writing.
Which of the following is the most appropriate response when someone asks, '你多久写一次信？' (How often do you write letters?)
The question is about how often one writes letters, so '我每天写信' (I write letters every day) is the most direct and appropriate answer. The other options are unrelated.
If you want to tell someone you are going to write a letter to your friend, which sentence would you use?
'写信' means to write a letter. The other options involve calling, sending a text message, or reading a book, which are different actions.
The sentence '他喜欢写信给他的家人。' means 'He likes to write letters to his family.'
The phrase '写信' (xiě xìn) translates directly to 'write a letter', and '给他的家人' means 'to his family'. Therefore, the statement is true.
If you say '我明天会写信。', it means 'I will write a book tomorrow.'
'写信' means 'to write a letter', not 'to write a book'. '写书' would mean 'to write a book'.
The sentence '你写信了吗？' means 'Did you eat an apple?'
'你写信了吗？' (Nǐ xiě xìn le ma?) means 'Did you write a letter?'. '吃苹果' (chī píngguǒ) means 'eat an apple'. These are completely different meanings.
Listen for who is writing and to whom, and what the letter is about.
Listen for who still writes letters and why, despite modern trends.
Listen for the job requirement and the purpose of writing letters.
Read this aloud:
你上一次写信是什么时候？
Focus: 写信 (xiě xìn)
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
你认为写信在现代社会还有意义吗？为什么？
Focus: 意义 (yìyì)
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
如果你要给十年后的自己写一封信，你会写些什么？
Focus: 十年后 (shí nián hòu)
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
/ 30 correct
Perfect score!
Ejemplo
他每个月都会给父母写信。
Contenido relacionado
Frases relacionadas
Más palabras de communication
承认
A2to admit; to acknowledge
恐怕
B1I'm afraid that...; perhaps; probably. Used to express concern, uncertainty, or to soften a polite refusal.
同意
A1to agree
虽然...但是...
A2although...but...
公告
B1announcement
回答
A1to answer; to reply
接听
B2To answer (a phone call).
致歉
B2To express an apology formally. This is a critical term for IELTS letters of apology.
提问
A1To ask a question; to pose an inquiry.
广播
A2Broadcast.
