Translation guide
Covers postal mail, email, and related concepts. The most common Japanese word is メール, but it primarily means email or text message. For physical postal mail, use 郵便. Be careful with context.
The most common meaning of 'mail' in Japanese, referring to email or text messages on phones.
The default word for email or text message. Can be used as a noun or with する to mean 'to email/text'.
メールを送ります。
I'll send an email.
メールアドレスを教えてください。
Please tell me your email address.
More explicitly 'email', sometimes used to distinguish from text messages, but メール is more common.
Eメールでお問い合わせください。
Please contact us by email.
Formal or technical term for email. Rare in everyday speech.
電子メールにてご連絡いたします。
We will contact you via email.
Refers to traditional mail delivered by the post office.
General term for postal mail. Used in compounds like 郵便局 (post office).
郵便で書類を送りました。
I sent the documents by mail.
今日、郵便が届きました。
The mail arrived today.
Refers to mail items (letters, packages). More formal than 郵便 alone.
Specifically a letter. Use when referring to a personal written letter.
The action of sending something by postal mail.
Standard way to say 'to mail' or 'to send by mail'.
この小包を郵便で送りたいです。
I'd like to mail this package.
Specifically 'to drop into a mailbox'. Used for letters.
手紙をポストに投函しました。
I mailed the letter (dropped it in the mailbox).
Unwanted mail, either physical or electronic.
Spam email. Very common.
迷惑メールがたくさん来ます。
I get a lot of spam mail.
Referring to the institution or system of mail delivery.
Postal system. Formal.
日本の郵便制度は信頼できます。
Japan's postal system is reliable.
メール almost always means email or text message, not physical mail. Using メール for postal mail will cause confusion. Use 郵便 for physical mail.
In casual conversation, you can simply say 送る (おくる) if the context is clear. For email, メールする is common.
郵便物を確認してください。
Please check the mail.
I wrote a letter to my friend.
Direct mail, physical advertising mail. Often abbreviated as DM.
ダイレクトメールが毎日届きます。
Direct mail arrives every day.