写 (xiě) — to write
HSK 1 | verb | to write characters, text, or content
写 (xiě)
写 means to write, whether writing Chinese characters, a message, an essay, or any other text. It is distinct from 读 (dú, to read aloud) and 看 (kàn, to read silently).
Meanings
- [verb] To write (characters, text, a letter, a composition).
Example Sentences
请写下你的名字。 Qǐng xiě xià nǐ de míngzi. Please write down your name.
他每天练习写汉字。 Tā měitiān liànxí xiě Hànzì. He practices writing Chinese characters every day.
我要写一封信给朋友。 Wǒ yào xiě yī fēng xìn gěi péngyou. I want to write a letter to my friend.
老师让我们写作文。 Lǎoshī ràng wǒmen xiě zuòwén. The teacher asked us to write a composition.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 写字 | write characters |
| 写作文 | write a composition |
| 写信 | write a letter |
| 写下 | write down |
| 好写 | easy to write |
| 写作 | writing (as a skill or profession) |
Memory Hook
写 has a lid-like top covering a lower component. Think of a pen cap being placed over a nib, ready to write.