also: てさつ
handwritten letter; mail; correspondence
Refers to a letter written by hand, often personal. The reading てさつ is rare and may be encountered in older texts.
Only with reading しゅさつ
Used for a small card with one's name and affiliation, exchanged in formal introductions. Reading is always しゅさつ.
I received a heartfelt handwritten letter from my grandmother.
He sent me a letter from his travels.
I hand my business card to someone I'm meeting for the first time.
I sent a handwritten letter to a friend living far away.
I exchanged business cards with the person I was meeting for the first time.
He carefully wrote out a formal letter.
I handed over my business card during the meeting.
名刺 is the standard modern term for a business card, whereas 手札 is an older or more formal way to refer to the same thing.
名札 is a nameplate or tag worn or attached to an object, while 手札 (business-card sense) is a card handed to another person in greeting.
Used for documents such as letters and correspondence (手紙・書簡), as in 手紙一通.
Standard kanji spelling for both senses; reading しゅさつ is more common for 'business card'.
Rare reading for 'handwritten letter'; しゅさつ is the usual reading.
Compound of 手 (hand) and 札 (card, tag). The reading しゅさつ uses the on'yomi of both characters; てさつ is a mixed reading.