This application provides a channel state information (CSI) sending method, an apparatus, and a system. In this solution, a terminal device feeds back a first rank used for a common channel and a first precoding matrix indicator, and feeds back a second rank used for a traffic channel and a second precoding matrix indicator to a base station. The first precoding matrix indicator is used to indicate a first precoding matrix in a first precoding matrix set. The second precoding matrix indicator is used to indicate a second precoding matrix in a second precoding matrix set. The first precoding matrix set is different from the second precoding matrix set. Different precoding matrix sets are used on the common channel and the traffic channel, to obtain channel state information, thereby reducing bits required for feedback while satisfying a system requirement.