信封

• Pinyin: xìn fēng
• Hanzi breakdown: 信 = 亻 (person) + 言 (speech), meaning trust or letter; 封 = 圭 (jade tablet) + 寸 (inch), originally meaning to seal with earth

Meaning

Envelope. A flat paper container used for enclosing a letter or document.

A concrete everyday noun. While letters are less common in the digital age, 信封 still appears in formal and official contexts such as mailing documents, invitations, or red envelopes containing money. Common usage: 把信放进信封 (put the letter in the envelope), 写信封 (address an envelope).

Examples

1. 请把信放进信封里。 Please put the letter in the envelope.
2. 她在信封上写了收件人的地址。 She wrote the recipient's address on the envelope.
3. 桌子上有一个白色的信封。 There is a white envelope on the table.

Usage Guide

Context: postal, office, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请帮我买几个信封。(Please help me buy some envelopes.)
• 信封上要写清楚地址。(The address must be written clearly on the envelope.)

Don't Say

• 我发了一个信封给你。(Don't say you 'sent an envelope' when you mean you sent a letter — say 我寄了一封信给你. The 信封 is the container, not the message.)

Origin & History

信 means 'letter' or 'trust' and 封 means 'to seal' or 'envelope'. Together they describe the sealed container for a letter.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal