信

• Pinyin: xìn
• Hanzi breakdown: 信 = 亻(person radical) + 言 (speech/words). A person's words — originally 'trust,' extended to 'letter'

Meaning

Letter; a piece of mail. A written message sent to someone.

While 信 also means 'trust/believe' as a verb, in this noun sense it refers to postal letters. Common phrases: 写信 (to write a letter), 寄信 (to send a letter), 收到信 (to receive a letter). Though email and messaging have largely replaced physical letters, 信 remains widely used and understood.

Examples

1. 我给妈妈写了一封信。 I wrote a letter to my mum.
2. 你收到我的信了吗？ Did you receive my letter?
3. 这封信是从北京寄来的。 This letter was sent from Beijing.

Usage Guide

Context: mail, communication, writing

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请帮我寄这封信。(Please help me send this letter.)
• 我很久没写信了。(I haven't written a letter in a long time.)

Don't Say

• 用信指电子邮件 (Don't use 信 alone for email — say 电子邮件 or 邮件 for email; 信 by itself usually means a physical letter)

Origin & History

信 combines 亻(person) + 言 (speech). Originally meant 'trustworthy words from a person.' The meaning extended to 'letter' because letters carry a person's trusted words.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal