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 sent a handwritten letter to a friend living far away.
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 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.
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.