手紙 (てがみ, tegami) Japanese meaning: letter | KotomoraI wrote a letter to my friend.
I'm going to mail a letter.
Usage patterns
〈人〉に手紙を書くto write a letter to someone
I wrote a letter to my grandmother.
手紙が届くa letter arrives
A letter arrived from overseas.
手紙を受け取るto receive a letter
I received a letter from her.
手紙の返事を書くto write a reply to a letter
I wrote a reply to my friend's letter.
手紙 is the general word for a letter regardless of format, while 封書 specifically denotes a letter sealed inside an envelope.
手紙 is the everyday word for a letter, while 手札 specifically emphasizes that the letter is handwritten and sounds more literary or old-fashioned.
手紙 is a casual or personal letter, while 書面 is formal and often used in legal or business contexts.
手紙 is a physical, handwritten or printed letter, whereas メッセージ also covers digital and spoken communications.
手紙 is the standard, everyday word for 'letter', while 書 in this sense is formal and mostly literary.
the letters of Paul; Pauline epistles
