写 (xiě) — to write
Definition
写 (xiě) is the basic everyday verb 'to write' — used for characters, words, names, and simple things. 写作 is for longer literary or academic writing; 书写 is more formal, for the act of writing characters.
verb
to write
Examples
- 写。Wǒ xiě hàn zì.I write Chinese characters.
- 写？Nǐ xiě míng zì ma?Do you write your name?
- 写？Tā xiě shén me?What is he writing?
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 寫; 写 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
舄
舄xì寫xiě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 寫 combines 宀 with 舄 for the sound; this note is about 寫, not the simplified 写.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 1 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.