noun HSK 4
letter · mail · correspondence
Meaning
信件 refers to written correspondence sent through the mail, including both personal and business letters. It is a formal term often used in official or written contexts to refer to physical mail items.
Usage
This word is more formal than the simpler 信 (letter). Native speakers use 信件 in contexts involving postal services, official correspondence, or when discussing mail in a general or professional manner. It appears frequently in news reports, government documents, and business communications.
Examples
- 01邮局每天要处理成千上万件信件。.The post office processes tens of thousands of letters every day.
- 02请把这些重要信件尽快寄出去。.Please send out these important letters as soon as possible.
Characters
Measure words
- 封一封信件
- 件几件信件
Common collocations
- 寄信件to send a letter
- 收到信件to receive a letter
- 处理信件to process mail
- 重要信件important correspondence
Origin
信 originally means trust or to believe, and evolved to mean letter (a trusted message). 件 is a classifier for items or matters. Together they form a compound specifically meaning mail items or pieces of correspondence.