「航空便でラブレターが届いたの boucingheart! 」
= Koukuubin de raburetaa ga todoita no.
=I got this love letter by airmail♥
Today’s mini lesson is about 郵便 = ゆうびん = yuubin =postal mail
I will teach you some basic postal service related words.
★郵便局 = yuubinkyoku = post office
★郵便で = by mail
Ex. 郵便で送る = yuubin de okuru = to send something by postal mail
•送る = okuru = to send, to mail
(Note : We also say 郵送する = yusou suru)
★郵便貯金 = yuubinchokin = post-office savings
(I’m not sure if it is only in Japan but they have a bank service at a post office in Japan. How about in your country?)
★( 郵便 )ポスト = ( yuubin ) posuto = post box
Ex. ポストに投函して下さい。
= Posuto ni toukan shite kudasai.
= Please put a letter in the post-box.
★葉書 = はがき = ハガキ = hagaki = postcard （絵はがき = ehagaki = picture postcard)
官製葉書, はがき, ハガキ = kansei hagaki = official postal card(The stamp is printed on the card.)
★郵便番号 = yuubin bangou = postal code, zip code
★（郵便）切手 = (yuubin ) kitte = postal stamps
Ex. ５０円切手を１０枚下さい。
= Gojuu en kitte wo juumai kudasai.
= Ten 80 yen stamps, please.
Ex. 80円切手を貼って下さい。
= Hachijyuuen kitte wo hatte kudasai.
= Please put a 80 yen stamp on.
記念切手 ( = kinen kitte ) commemorative postage stamp (Usually they sell them by the sheet.)
If you have a chance to stop by a Japanese post office, go check these 記念切手 ( = kinen kitte) . Sometimes you can find beautiful stamps and you can also buy animation character-stamps such as NARUTO, etc.
:u:
★消印 = keshiin = postmark
Ex. 消印を押す = keshiin wo osu = to mark a stamp, to obliterate
★航空便 = koukuu bin = airmail
★船便 = funabin = sea mail
Ex. すみません、これ航空便で送るといくらぐらいかかりますか？
= Sumimasen, kore koukuubin de okuruto ikura gurai kakarimasuka ?
= Excuse me. How much would it cost to send this by airmail?
Ex. それなら船便にして下さい。
= Sorenara funabin ni shite kudasai.
= Then please send this by sea mail.
Ex. 船便ならどの位、時間がかかりますか？
= Funabin nara dono kurai(also pronounced “gurai”) jikan ga kakarimasu ka?
= About how long does it take (to arrive) by sea mail?
★速達 = sokutatsu = express mail
★書留 = kakitome = certificate mail
★普通郵便 = futsuu yuubin = regular mail
～で送る = ~ de okuru = to send (something) by ～
Ex. これ、速達で送りたいのですが..
= Kore sokutatsu de okuritai no desuga…
= I would like to mail this by express.
Ex. これ、書留にして下さい。
= Kore kakitome ni shite kudasai.
= Please send this by certificate.
Ex. 普通（郵便）でいいですか？
=Futsuu (yuubin ) de ii desuka?
=Do you want to send this by regular mail?
Ex. はい、普通（郵便）でいいです。
= Futsuu （yuubin） de iidesu.
= Regular mail will be fine.
★郵便小包 = yuubin kozutumi = postal service small package
Note : There is a specific name for postal service package →ゆうパック ( = yuu pakku ) =specific name for a postal service package
Ex. 「郵便小包を出したいのですが。」
= Yuubin kozutsumi wo dashitai no desu ga.
=I would like to send a package by mail.
Ex. 「ゆうパックでお願いします。」
= Yuupakku de onegai shimasu.
= By postal package service, please.
:yy: Other related expressions.
Ex. 「こちらの用紙にご記入下さい。」
= Kochira no youshi ni gokinyuu kudasai.
= Please fill out this form.
:u:
•おところ= otokoro = address
• おなまえ = onamae = name
• 電話 =でんわ = denwa = telephone
•お届け先 = otodoke saki = recipient
• ご依頼主 = goirainushi = sender
•壊れ物 = こわれもの = kowaremono = fragile goods
• 割れ物 = われもの = waremono = breakables
• 生もの = なまもの= namamono = perishables (mainly food)
Ex. 「中にお手紙は入っていますか？」
= Naka ni otegami wa haitte imasuka?
= Is there a letter inside?
(Sometimes they charge more if there is a letter inside of a package.)
Ex. 「ゆうパックとEMSと(では）どちらが早く着きますか？」
=Yuupakku to EMS to (dewa) dochiraga hayaku tsukimasu ka?
= Which is faster, yuupakku or EMS (*express service for International mail) ?
Ex. 配達日のご希望はありますか？
= Haitatsubi no gokibou wa arimasu ka?
= Do you have preference as to what day you want it delivered?
Ex. 中に何が入っていますか？
= Naka ni nani ga haitte imasuka?
= What’s inside it (the package)?
Note : You can chose 配達日 ( = haitatsubi ) delivery date and 配達時間 ( = haitatsu jikan ) delivery time to send a postal package.
The symbol of Japanese postal service= 郵便マーク ( = yuubin maaku) is,
〒
マギー先生より= Maggie Sensei yori = From Maggie Sensei
で、みんなのラブレターはいつ届くのかしら？
= De minna no raburetaa wa itsu todoku no kashira?
So, when can I get your love letters?
***
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8 Comments
Maggie-san may i ask if until what time will the post office accept a parcel during weekdays if you want to send it international ems? Please reply
Hi Renshu
If it is a big post office, they will accept a parcel until 7 pm.
If it is a small post office, until 5 pm.
This was a great post, thanks! (Sorry, I’m 7 years late) The 記念切手 got me really excited, but I’m wondering, do they still sell it, considering that most of them were released years ago?
Thanks for any help!
＠Lindy
Hi Lindy,
Every year, they sell different 記念切手. If you want old ones, you can buy them on some auction sites.
They were selling Ghibli stamps last year.
What about when you’re at the post office to receive mail or a parcel/package? In Australia there are PO Boxes or Post Office Boxes which you rent from the post office and they deliver your mail and your packages there. And then you collect everything from the box. If the packages are too large to fit in the box then a note or card is left advising that there is a package to collect and you take the note to the front counter to collect the package over the counter. Post office boxes are usually outside the post office so that they can be accessed 24/7. Most post offices also offer early collection before the post office opens where you can ring the doorbell near the PO Boxes. The postal worker will open the top half of the door and hand your package out this way. Is there anything like that in Japan?
＠Kelly
For example, when you get a 不在票 delivery notice, you can choose to pick the package/letter at the post office nearby instead of asking them to redeliver to your house.
As for PO Boxes(私書箱=ししょばこ) , it is difficult to have your PO box at the post office unless you own a company or receive a lot of letters regularly.
You have to use a private company to have the PO box service. (It is a bit pricey…)
thank you very much for your great site.
i am trying to find out the best way to express “please do not bend” on something i am going to mail to Japan but my many reference books don’t list this expression. could you let me know or include this in your post office page?
thank you very much.
@Carleton Hoffman
Hello Carleton!
”please do not bend” in Japanese is 折り曲げないで下さい。(= Orimagenai de kudasai.) when you tell people not to fold.
But we write 「折曲厳禁」(=orimage genkin), Do not fold, in red ink on the envelope like this.