A written message sent to someone, typically by mail. Covers both formal letters and casual notes.
友達に手紙を書いた。
I wrote a letter to my friend.
ポストに手紙を出しに行く。
I'm going to mail a letter.
I wrote a letter to my grandmother.
A letter arrived from overseas.
I received a letter from her.
I wrote a reply to my friend's letter.
手紙 is the everyday word for a letter, while 文 is a formal or literary alternative rarely used in casual speech.
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.
epistolary style; letter-writing style; epistolary phrase
letter bomb
the letters of Paul; Pauline epistles