信
xìn
Letter
信 (xìn) is the most common and versatile way to say "letter" in Mandarin Chinese, referring to a piece of written correspondence. It's used for physical letters, or sometimes broadly for a message.
When to use it
Neutral. This refers to a piece of correspondence. If you mean an alphabet character (like 'A' or 'B'), use 字母 (zìmǔ). For an email, use 电子邮件 (diànzǐ yóujiàn). For a text message, use 短信 (duǎnxìn).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "sheen" (like the "sh" in "shoe" and "een" in "green"). It's a falling tone, so the pitch drops from high to low.
Other ways to say it
- 电子邮件diàn zǐ yóu jiànemail (electronic mail)
- 短信duǎn xìntext message (short message)
- 家书jiā shūfamily letter (more traditional/literary)
Examples
我写了一封信给她。
wǒ xiě le yì fēng xìn gěi tā 。
I wrote a letter to her.
你收到我的信了吗？
nǐ shōu dào wǒ de xìn le ma ？
Did you receive my letter?
他每天都查邮箱看有没有新信。
tā měi tiān dōu chá yóu xiāng kàn yǒu méi yǒu xīn xìn 。
He checks his mailbox every day to see if there are any new letters.
Pro tip: Remember that 信 (xìn) refers to a written message or correspondence. If you mean an alphabet character (like 'A' or 'B'), the correct term is 字母 (zìmǔ).
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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