郵便
yūbin[jɯ̟ːbʲĩɴ]
The English phrase "mail" can be translated into Japanese as 郵便 (yūbin).
郵便 refers to physical parcels and letters. You can use it to talk about the postal service, such as in the term 郵便局, which means "post office" (formed by appending 局 to mean bureau or office). Note that メッセージ is the term used to refer to a text message (SMS), and the phrase メッセージを送る is used for sending a text message.
Meaning: parcels and letters (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 郵便 is composed of the kanji 郵 (mail/post) and 便 (service/convenience/route).
Which one should you use?
While 郵便 refers to physical letters and parcels, the katakana word メール is used specifically for electronic mail (email).
How do you pronounce it?
yūbin
Did you know?
- The kanji 便 in 郵便 also appears in words for 'convenience' and 'excrement', as both relate to the idea of things being 'discharged' or 'sent out'.
- Historically, Japan had a system called 飛脚 where runners delivered mail on foot across the country, long before the modern 郵便 system was established.
- In Japan, many people use a 'post office stamp' (hanko) on official mail, whereas Western mail is typically signed or left unmarked.
Examples in context
- 郵便が届いた。The mail has arrived.This sentence is useful for stating that the mail has arrived using 郵便.Tatoeba #79187 by bunbuku, translation #324530 by CK
- 郵便は昼前に来る。The mail arrives before noon.This sentence is useful for stating that the mail arrives before noon using 郵便.Tatoeba #79184 by small_snow, translation #492877 by Swift
- 郵便は１日１回配達される。The mail is delivered once a day.This sentence is useful for stating that the mail is delivered once a day using 郵便.Tatoeba #79185 by bunbuku, translation #324532 by CK
- メールを送りました。I sent an e-mail.
- 郵便を出しました。I sent a letter.
- 今、メールが来たよ！Hey, I just received an e-mail!
- ケータイにメッセージを送ったんだ。I sent a text message on my phone.
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Yui are checking the mailbox at home.
- 陽太 Yota今日の郵便は何かな？Kyō no yūbin wa nani kana?I wonder what today's mail is?
- 結衣 Yui私の郵便があるみたい。Watashi no yūbin ga aru mitai.It looks like there is some mail for me.
- 陽太 Yota郵便局から手紙が来たよ。Yūbin-kyoku kara tegami ga kita yo.A letter came from the post office.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとう、陽太さん。Arigatō, Yōta-san.Thank you, Yota.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mail” translations and entries 郵便, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
