情书
qíng shū
Love letters · trad. 情書
情书 (qíngshū) refers specifically to a letter written to express romantic love or deep affection to someone. It's a traditional and often heartfelt way to convey feelings.
When to use it
Neutral. While 情书 is the direct term for “love letter,” a more general “letter” is 信 (xìn). If you want to talk about “writing a love letter,” you'd say 写情书 (xiě qíngshū). For a “love poem,” it's 情诗 (qíngshī).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “ching-SHOO.” Both syllables have a rising tone, so make sure to lift your voice for both.
Other ways to say it
- 写情书xiě qíng shūto write a love letter
- 一封情书yì fēng qíng shūone love letter (using measure word)
- 爱情信ài qíng xìnlove letter (alternative, less common)
Examples
他给她写了一封情书。
tā gěi tā xiě le yì fēng qíng shū 。
He wrote her a love letter.
她收到了一封匿名情书。
tā shōu dào le yì fēng nì míng qíng shū 。
She received an anonymous love letter.
你还记得你收到的第一封情书吗？
nǐ hái jì de nǐ shōu dào de dì yī fēng qíng shū ma ？
Do you still remember the first love letter you received?
Pro tip: In Chinese, letters (信) are counted with the measure word 封 (fēng). So, “a love letter” is 一封情书 (yī fēng qíngshū).
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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