小包
kozutsumi
The Japanese word for parcel is 小包 (kozutsumi).
小包 refers to a package wrapped for shipment. While its literal meaning is a small bundle, it is the standard term used for a parcel sent through mail services.
Meaning: package wrapped for shipment (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 小, meaning small and 包, meaning bundle or wrap.
Which one should you use?
小包 specifically implies a wrapped parcel prepared for shipment.
How do you pronounce it?
kozutsumi
Did you know?
- In Japan, the culture of tsutsumi (wrapping) is so significant that the quality and style of the wrapping on a 小包 can communicate the level of respect or the social status of the sender.
- In historical contexts, a tsutsumi was often a cloth bundle used as a portable wardrobe or a way to carry personal belongings while traveling, long before the modern postal 小包 existed.
- The word 小包 undergoes a sound change called 'rendaku', where the second part shifts from 'tsutsumi' to 'zutsumi'. This makes the word flow more naturally in spoken Japanese.
Examples in context
- 航空便で小包を送ったよ。I sent the parcel by airmail.This sentence is useful for expressing that you sent the 小包 via airmail.Tatoeba #9529089 by small_snow, translation #1176914 by bart
- 日本に小包を送りたいのですが。I want to send a parcel to Japan.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to send a 小包 to Japan.Tatoeba #122695 by arnab, translation #281307 by CN
- この小包の宛名が間違ってるよ。The address on this parcel is wrong.This sentence is useful for pointing out that the address on a 小包 is incorrect.Tatoeba #1125562 by bunbuku, translation #61132 by CK
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiyori tells Daito that a package arrived for him.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔くん、小包が届いたよ。Daito-kun, kodutsumi ga todoita yo.Daito, a parcel arrived.
- 大翔 Hiroto本当？誰からの小包かな。Hontō? Dare kara no kodutsumi kana.Really? I wonder who the parcel is from.
- 陽葵 Himari書いてないから、開けてみて。Kaite nai kara, akete mite.Nothing is written, so try opening it.
- 大翔 Hirotoわかった。ありがとう、陽葵さん。Wakatta. Arigatō, Hiyori-san.Got it. Thank you, Hiyori.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 小包, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
