手紙

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 母に手紙を書いた。▶ —
   I wrote a letter to my mom.
2. お礼の手紙をもらった。▶ —
   I received a thank-you letter.

Collocations

Mnemonic

Tegami (手紙) is "letter" — a precise Japanese cluster (B + cluster). Kanji "te (hand) + kami (paper)" = paper written by hand. Cluster: (1) orei no tegami (thank-you letter — Japans courtesy rite after weddings, funerals, ochuugen, oseibo, with orei-jou sent within a week, handwritten tegaki more respected); (2) raburetaa (love letter, English loanword, high-school youth motif of "secretly slipped into geta-bako shoe lockers"); (3) nengajou (New Year postcards delivered on Jan 1); (4) three-piece set binsen (letter paper) plus fuutou (envelope) plus kitte (stamp); (5) tegaki (handwriting as politeness signal); (6) tategaki (vertical writing as orthodoxy). Korean pyeonji is the main word; Japans precise orei-jou rite has no Korean parallel; Chinese xin-jian is generic. JLPT N5 plus a Japanese courtesy-culture cluster.

Quick check

1. When to send orei-jou?

   • Within a week of receipt after weddings, funerals, ochuugen, oseibo — handwritten
   • Year-end only
   • Email is fine
   • No rite