While a 信封 (xìnfēng) is a simple object, its use reveals important cultural practices, especially when compared to its famous cousin, the 红包 (hóngbāo).
Standard Envelope (信封): A plain 信封 is for business, official correspondence, or personal letters. The key cultural difference lies in how you address it. In the West, the sender's address is in the top-left corner and the recipient's is in the center. In China, the format is often reversed in terms of priority:
Recipient's address is written first, in the main central area, and is often written in larger characters.
Recipient's name follows the address.
Sender's address and name are written in the bottom-left corner, often in smaller characters.
The postal code goes in designated red boxes, typically at the top-left for the recipient and bottom-right for the sender.
Comparison to the Red Envelope (红包 hóngbāo):
A 红包 (hóngbāo), or red envelope, is the most culturally significant type of envelope in the Chinese-speaking world. While technically a type of 信封, it's never referred to as such. A 信封 is for information; a 红包 is for celebration, luck, and relationships. You use a plain 信封 to send a bill or an application. You use a 红包 to give gift money for Chinese New Year, weddings, or birthdays. Confusing the two would be like using a plain office envelope for a birthday card—functionally possible, but culturally inappropriate.
In an age of digital communication, the use of physical 信封 (xìnfēng) has declined, but it remains important in several areas:
Official Correspondence: Government documents, university acceptance letters, legal notices, and bank statements are still sent in standard 信封.
Business: Formal invoices, contracts, and company announcements are often mailed in company-branded 信封.
Formal Invitations: High-end wedding or event invitations are typically sent in decorative, but not red, 信封.
Digital World: Unlike the English “envelope” icon for email, the word 信封 is rarely used in a digital context. Chinese apps and websites typically use an icon of a letter, a paper airplane, or the character 邮 (yóu), meaning “mail.”
The term is neutral and has no special connotations of formality. The formality is conveyed by the context and the letter inside, not the word 信封 itself.