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发信 (fā xìn) — to post a letter, to send a letter

Definition

A separable verb: 发信 is the action of sending/posting a letter. It focuses on dispatching the letter itself, unlike 寄 jì, which can also cover parcels and emphasizes mailing through a service.

verb
to post a letterto send a letter

Examples

  • 。
    Wǒ zuó tiān fā le yì fēng xìn gěi mā ma.
    I sent a letter to my mom yesterday.
  • 发信？
    Nǐ jì de qù yóu jú fā xìn ma?
    Do you remember to go to the post office to send the letter?
  • 发信。
    Tā měi gè yuè dōu huì fā xìn wèn hòu lǎo péng you.
    He sends letters every month to greet old friends.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

发fāsend
信xìnletter

发 means send and 信 means letter, so the word describes sending a letter.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánwords
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén信xìn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

信 pairs 人 as the sound part with 言 (words) as the meaning part.

Open 信 →
Appears in
Mail & Messaging

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