写

寫

xiě, xiè

与 + 冖

HSK 2.0Level 1

HSK 3.0Level 1

Definitions

xiě (verb) to write

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 宀 represents the meaning and 舄 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "relocate". The meaning later shifted to "copy" and "write". The simplified character 写 was adapted from the cursive form of the traditional character 寫.

About

写 is the simplified form of the traditional 寫, a phono-semantic compound. The roof radical 宀 conveys the meaning, while the component 舄 (originally a bird or shoe) indicates the pronunciation. The earliest meaning was 'relocate', the act of moving objects from one place to another. This physical transfer idea later broadened to 'copy' (tracing or duplicating an image) and eventually narrowed to 'write' (composing text or describing in words). The simplified character 写 comes from the cursive script of 寫, where the strokes were streamlined.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我在写作业。

Wǒ zài xiě zuòyè.

I am doing homework.

她喜欢写日记。

Tā xǐhuān xiě rìjì.

She likes writing a diary.

我们每天写汉字。

Wǒmen měitiān xiě Hànzì.

We write Chinese characters every day.

老师让学生写作文。

Lǎoshī ràng xuéshēng xiě zuòwén.

The teacher asks the students to write an essay.

他正在写一本小说。

Tā zhèngzài xiě yī běn xiǎoshuō.

He is writing a novel.

写报告需要很多时间。

Xiě bàogào xūyào hěnduō shíjiān.

Writing a report requires a lot of time.

为了考试，我必须写很多笔记。

Wèile kǎoshì, wǒ bìxū xiě hěnduō bǐjì.

For the exam, I must write a lot of notes.

在数字化时代，人们仍然习惯用笔写字。

Zài shùzìhuà shídài, rénmen réngrán xíguàn yòng bǐ xiě zì.

In the digital age, people still habitually use a pen to write characters.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 与

Component: 冖

写