Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| име́йл | imɛ́jl | masculine | |
| мейл | mɛjl | [mɛjɫ] (narrow) | masculine |
| сообще́ние | soobščénije | neuter | |
| письмо́ | pisʹmó | neuter | |
| электро́нное письмо́ | elektrónnoje pisʹmó | neuter |
The term for 'email' in Russian varies depending on whether you are emphasizing the digital nature of the correspondence, the content of the message or using a loanword. You can refer to an email as a message, a letter or use transliterated versions of the English word. When asking for someone's email address, people often use the phrase адре́с электро́нной по́чты (address of electronic mail) or simply ваш име́йл (your email).
Which one should you use?
While письмо́ literally means 'letter', it is the most common way to refer to an email in everyday Russian, regardless of whether it is digital or physical. For a more specific and formal term, especially in technical documentation or official contexts, you can use электро́нное письмо́, which means 'electronic letter'. The transliterated version име́йл is a direct loanword from English and is used primarily in casual conversation or tech-savvy circles. The word сообще́ние is a neuter noun used when referring to the content of the email as a 'message' rather than the medium itself.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms име́йл and мейл are masculine nouns, while письмо́ and электро́нное письмо́ are neuter nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
imɛ́jl
Did you know?
- Although име́йл is borrowed from English, it follows Russian masculine noun declension, meaning its ending changes depending on its grammatical role in a sentence.
- While English speakers often use 'email' as both a noun and a verb, in Russian you must use different structures because име́йл functions only as a noun.
- The word по́чта can mean the postal service, the physical post office and an email account all at once.
Examples in context
- Пожалуйста, отправьте мне информацию по электронной почте.Please send me the information through email.
- Пришли мне фото по почте!Send me the photo via email!
- Пиши мне на эмейл, чтобы я мог ответить.Write me an email so that I can reply.
- Я получил твой име́йл.Ya poluchil tvoy imeyl.I received your email.
- Проверь свой име́йл, пожалуйста.Prover' svoy imeyl, pozhaluysta.Check your email, please.
- Этот име́йл очень важный.Etot imeyl ochen' vazhnyy.This email is very important.
Example conversation
Andrey and Ekaterina are talking about a work task at home.
- Андрей AndreyТы видела мой име́йл?Ty videla moy imeyl?Did you see my email?
- Екатерина EkaterinaНет, я ещё не читала его.Net, ya eshchyo ne chitala yego.No, I haven't read it yet.
- Андрей AndreyТам есть важные документы.Tam yest' vazhnyye dokumenty.There are important documents in there.
- Екатерина EkaterinaХорошо, я посмотрю его сейчас.Khorosho, ya posmotryu yego seychas.Okay, I will look at it now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “email” translations and entries мейл, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
