手紙

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 手紙 is read てがみ and means a written letter sent or kept as a message.
• Basic usage: It is used for writing to a distant friend and for finding an old letter in a drawer.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Writing a letter
  • 手紙を書きました is a polite past expression for writing a letter.
• Finding an old letter
  • 昔の手紙が出てきた describes an old stored letter turning up.