Meaning
The action of composing and sending a written message.
Cultural Background
The 'Burofax' is a unique Spanish service for sending letters with legal certification of content. The 'Palacio de Correos' in Mexico City is a stunning architectural monument dedicated to the history of letters. The 'Día del Cartero' (Postman's Day) is celebrated on September 14th to honor those who deliver letters. Writing to the Three Wise Men (Reyes Magos) is more common than writing to Santa Claus in many regions.
Use the Indirect Object
Always use 'le' when writing *to* someone. 'Le escribo una carta a mi amigo' sounds much more native than 'Escribo una carta a mi amigo'.
Watch the 'B' and 'V'
In Spanish, 'b' and 'v' sound the same. 'Escribir' is always with a 'b'. Don't write 'escrivir'!
Meaning
The action of composing and sending a written message.
Use the Indirect Object
Always use 'le' when writing *to* someone. 'Le escribo una carta a mi amigo' sounds much more native than 'Escribo una carta a mi amigo'.
Watch the 'B' and 'V'
In Spanish, 'b' and 'v' sound the same. 'Escribir' is always with a 'b'. Don't write 'escrivir'!
The Power of the Diminutive
Saying 'una cartita' makes the action sound much more affectionate and less like a chore.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'escribir' in the present tense.
Yo _______ una carta a mi abuelo.
The first person singular (Yo) form of 'escribir' is 'escribo'.
Choose the correct past participle.
He _______ una carta para ti.
'Escrito' is the irregular past participle of 'escribir'.
Match the Spanish phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the following:
These are common collocations related to 'carta'.
Complete the dialogue with the correct word.
A: ¿Qué haces? B: Voy a escribir una ______.
In the context of 'escribir', 'carta' (letter) is the only logical choice.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesYo _______ una carta a mi abuelo.
The first person singular (Yo) form of 'escribir' is 'escribo'.
He _______ una carta para ti.
'Escrito' is the irregular past participle of 'escribir'.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
These are common collocations related to 'carta'.
A: ¿Qué haces? B: Voy a escribir una ______.
In the context of 'escribir', 'carta' (letter) is the only logical choice.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
4 questionsTechnically yes, but it sounds very old-fashioned. It's better to use 'mandar un correo'.
Only in the past participle ('escrito'). The rest of the conjugations are regular.
A 'carta' is long and usually physical; a 'mensaje' is short and usually digital.
You can say 'echar una carta al buzón' or 'mandar una carta'.
Related Phrases
Escribir un correo
similarTo write an email
Echar al buzón
builds onTo drop in the mailbox
Carta certificada
specialized formCertified letter
Leer una carta
contrastTo read a letter
