情书
qíngshū
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.
What does 情书 (qíngshū) mean?
情书 (qíngshū) means “love letters” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “affection letter.”
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 qíngshūto write a love letter
- 一封情书yī fēng qíngshūone love letter (using measure word)
Examples
他给她写了一封情书。
tā gěi tā xiěle yī fēng qíngshū.
He wrote her a love letter.
她收到了一封匿名情书。
tā shōudàole yī fēng nìmíng qíngshū.
She received an anonymous love letter.
你还记得你收到的第一封情书吗？
nǐ hái jìde nǐ shōudào de dì yī fēng qíngshū 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
好好生活，开心地笑，用心去爱 · Live laugh love长龙 · Long dragon恩爱夫妻 · Love birds
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