抄写

• Pinyin: chāo xiě
• Hanzi breakdown: 抄 = 扌(hand) + 少 (phonetic); 写 = 冖 (cover) + 与 (simplified), meaning to write

Meaning

To copy by hand; to transcribe. The deliberate act of writing something out from a source.

More formal and neutral than 抄 alone — specifically implies careful transcription rather than cheating. Often used in educational contexts where students are asked to copy text for practice. Emphasizes the process of writing.

Examples

1. 抄写课文是学习汉字的好方法。 Copying texts is a good way to learn Chinese characters.
2. 老师要求我们抄写五遍生词。 The teacher asked us to copy the new words five times.
3. 他每天晚上都抄写一篇文章来练字。 He copies an article every evening to practise his handwriting.

Usage Guide

Context: education, practice, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请把这些句子抄写两遍。(Please copy these sentences twice.)
• 抄写有助于记忆新的汉字。(Copying helps with memorising new Chinese characters.)

Don't Say

• 抄写这封电子邮件给我 (For forwarding or copying emails, use 转发 or 复制, not 抄写 — 抄写 is for handwriting)

Origin & History

抄 means to copy; 写 means to write. Together they emphasize the act of writing out a copy by hand.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal