听写

• Pinyin: tīng xiě
• Hanzi breakdown: 听 = listen; 写 = write — literally 'listen and write'

Meaning

Dictation. To write down what one hears, a common exercise in Chinese language classes.

A standard activity in Chinese schools where the teacher reads words or sentences aloud and students write them down. Used both as a noun (一次听写 = a dictation test) and as a verb (听写生词 = to do dictation of new words).

Examples

1. 老师今天让我们听写生词。 The teacher had us do vocabulary dictation today.
2. 明天有一个听写考试。 There is a dictation test tomorrow.
3. 这次听写我都写对了。 I got everything right on this dictation.

Usage Guide

Context: school, study

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我们每天都有听写。(We have dictation every day.)
• 请准备好，我们要开始听写了。(Please get ready, we're about to start dictation.)

Don't Say

• 我听写了老师。(Wrong object — say 我听写了生词; you dictate vocabulary or text, not the teacher)

Origin & History

A compound of 听 (to listen) and 写 (to write), literally 'listen and write' — describing the exercise of writing from dictation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal