電子郵件 / 电子邮件
diànzǐ yóujiàn
The standard Chinese word for an email is 電子郵件 / 电子邮件 (diànzǐ yóujiàn). If unsure, use 電子郵件 / 电子邮件. Wiktionary also lists 電郵 / 电邮 (diànyóu) and 伊妹兒 / 伊妹儿 (yīmèir).
Meaning: message sent through email (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 電子郵件 / 电子邮件 | diànzǐ yóujiàn |
| 電郵 / 电邮 | diànyóu |
| 伊妹兒 / 伊妹儿 | yīmèir |
What does it mean word for word?
電子郵件 is a literal translation of electronic mail: 電子 means electronic and 郵件 means mail or letter.
Which one should you use?
電郵 / 电邮 (diànyóu) is a shorter form used in both speech and writing. 伊妹兒 / 伊妹儿 (yīmèir) imitates the sound of the English word email.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
伊妹兒 is informal slang, so keep it for casual chat and use 電子郵件 in work or formal writing.
Is it said differently in some regions?
電郵 is the usual word in Hong Kong. The traditional form 電子郵件 is standard in Taiwan and Hong Kong, while 电子邮件 is used in mainland China.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To email someone, use the verb 發 followed by 郵件, as in 發郵件 / 发邮件.
How do you pronounce it?
Say diànzǐ yóujiàn with a falling tone, a dipping tone, a rising tone and a falling tone on the four syllables.
Did you know?
- The slang term 伊妹兒 uses characters that literally mean 'that younger sister', creating a playful visual pun while imitating the sound of 'email'.
- Because 電子 refers to electrons, the word for 'electronic mail' shares its first two characters with the word for 'electron' in a physics textbook.
- In professional settings in mainland China, people often use the word 发 meaning 'to send' as a shorthand verb to mean 'to email' without even mentioning the word for mail.
Examples in context
- 请将报告发送至我的电子邮件。Please send the report to my email.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “email” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
