邮件

• Pinyin: yóu jiàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 邮 = 由 (from) + 阝(邑) (city), meaning postal; 件 = 亻(人) (person) + 牛 (cow), meaning item or piece

Meaning

Mail; email. Refers to postal mail or electronic messages.

In modern usage, 邮件 most commonly refers to email (电子邮件). Can also refer to physical mail or parcels. Often used with verbs like 发 (send), 收到 (receive), and 回复 (reply to).

Examples

1. 请查收我刚发给你的邮件。 Please check the email I just sent you.
2. 我每天早上都要处理很多邮件。 I have to handle a lot of emails every morning.
3. 他还没有回复我的邮件。 He still hasn't replied to my email.

Usage Guide

Context: work, communication, everyday

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 你收到我的邮件了吗？(Did you receive my email?)
• 我给你发一封邮件。(I'll send you an email.)

Don't Say

• 我给你打一个邮件。(Don't use 打 with 邮件 — use 发 (send) for emails; 打 is for phone calls)

Origin & History

邮 (post, mail) + 件 (item, piece). Together: a piece of mail or a mail item.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal