yóujiàn: 邮件 - Mail, Email, Post

• Keywords: yóujiàn, 邮件, email in Chinese, mail in Chinese, how to say email, send an email in Chinese, receive mail, Chinese for mail, Chinese office vocabulary, HSK 3 Chinese, dianzi youjian
• Summary: Discover the essential Chinese word 邮件 (yóujiàn), the versatile term for both physical “mail” and digital “email.” This guide explains how 邮件 has become the standard for “email” in modern business and daily life in China, providing practical examples for sending, receiving, and checking your inbox. Learn the difference between 邮件 and 信 (xìn) to communicate effectively.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): yóu jiàn
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: Mail, post; predominantly used to mean email.
• In a Nutshell: 邮件 (yóujiàn) is the go-to word for any item sent through a postal or electronic system. While it technically covers everything from a physical letter to a package, in today's digital world, if you hear or see 邮件, you should almost always assume it means “email.” It's the standard term used in offices and daily digital communication across China.

• 邮 (yóu): This character relates to the post or mail system. Think of a post station or relay point for delivering messages. On its own, it means “post” or “postal.”
• 件 (jiàn): This character acts as a measure word for items, documents, letters, or luggage. It essentially means “an item” or “a piece.”
• Together, 邮件 (yóujiàn) literally translates to “postal item” or “mail piece,” a logical combination that effectively covers both letters and emails.

In Chinese, the evolution of 邮件 (yóujiàn) mirrors the country's rapid technological development. Historically, people would send 信 (xìn), or physical letters. As the postal system modernized, 邮件 became a more formal, all-encompassing term. However, the digital revolution completely shifted its primary meaning. Today, 邮件 is to “email” what “Kleenex” is to “tissue” in the United States—it's the default term. While the more precise term 电子邮件 (diànzǐ yóujiàn) (lit. electronic mail) exists, it's considered formal or slightly redundant in most conversations. Using 邮件 by itself is shorter, more common, and universally understood to mean email. This contrasts with English, where “mail” and “email” are two distinct words and concepts. A Chinese speaker asking, “你收到我的邮件了吗？(Nǐ shōudào wǒ de yóujiàn le ma?)” is almost certainly asking, “Did you get my email?” not “Did you get my letter?” This shift highlights how language adapts to prioritize the most common form of communication in the culture.

邮件 (yóujiàn) is a cornerstone of professional and formal communication in China. It's used far more frequently than in casual conversation, where WeChat (微信 - Wēixìn) reigns supreme.

• In the Workplace: This is where you'll encounter 邮件 most.
  • 发邮件 (fā yóujiàn): To send an email. (e.g., “我给你发个邮件。 - Wǒ gěi nǐ fā ge yóujiàn.” - “I'll send you an email.”)
  • 收邮件 (shōu yóujiàn): To receive an email. (e.g., “我今天收到了很多邮件。 - Wǒ jīntiān shōudào le hěn duō yóujiàn.” - “I received a lot of emails today.”)
  • 查邮件 (chá yóujiàn): To check email. (e.g., “我得先查一下邮件。 - Wǒ děi xiān chá yīxià yóujiàn.” - “I need to check my email first.”)
• Referring to Physical Mail: To avoid ambiguity when referring to physical mail, you would typically use a more specific term like 信 (xìn) for a letter or 包裹 (bāoguǒ) for a package. If you must use 邮件, you might add context like “邮局寄的邮件” (yóujú jì de yóujiàn) - “mail sent from the post office.”

• Example 1:
  • 我每天早上第一件事就是查邮件。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ měitiān zǎoshang dì yī jiàn shì jiùshì chá yóujiàn.
  • English: The first thing I do every morning is check my email.
  • Analysis: This is a very common daily-life sentence. Note the use of 查 (chá), meaning “to check,” which pairs perfectly with 邮件.
• Example 2:
  • 你能把会议纪要用邮件发给我吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ néng bǎ huìyì jìyào yòng yóujiàn fā gěi wǒ ma?
  • English: Can you send me the meeting minutes by email?
  • Analysis: The structure 用 (yòng)…发 (fā) means “to send using/by…” and is standard for specifying the method of communication.
• Example 3:
  • 我的邮件地址是 [email protected]。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de yóujiàn dìzhǐ shì [email protected]
  • English: My email address is [email protected]
  • Analysis: 邮件地址 (yóujiàn dìzhǐ) is the standard term for “email address.”
• Example 4:
  • 请查收邮件附件。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng cháshōu yóujiàn fùjiàn.
  • English: Please check the email attachment.
  • Analysis: A formal and common phrase in business emails. 查收 (cháshōu) is a polite way to say “check and receive.”
• Example 5:
  • 对不起，你的邮件被系统归为垃圾邮件了。
  • Pinyin: Duìbuqǐ, nǐ de yóujiàn bèi xìtǒng guīwéi lājī yóujiàn le.
  • English: Sorry, your email was classified as spam by the system.
  • Analysis: This shows how prefixes can be added. 垃圾邮件 (lājī yóujiàn) is the specific term for “spam mail.”
• Example 6:
  • 我已经把邮件转发给相关同事了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ yǐjīng bǎ yóujiàn zhuǎnfā gěi xiāngguān tóngshì le.
  • English: I have already forwarded the email to the relevant colleagues.
  • Analysis: 转发 (zhuǎnfā) means “to forward,” a key verb for email usage.
• Example 7:
  • 你的邮件我收到了，谢谢！我会尽快回复。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ de yóujiàn wǒ shōudào le, xièxie! Wǒ huì jǐnkuài huífù.
  • English: I received your email, thanks! I will reply as soon as possible.
  • Analysis: A polite and complete response confirming receipt. 回复 (huífù) means “to reply.”
• Example 8:
  • 这封邮件很重要，请务必今天回复。
  • Pinyin: Zhè fēng yóujiàn hěn zhòngyào, qǐng wùbì jīntiān huífù.
  • English: This email is very important, please be sure to reply today.
  • Analysis: The measure word for emails is 封 (fēng), the same one used for physical letters (信 xìn). 务必 (wùbì) adds a strong sense of necessity.
• Example 9:
  • 我的邮箱满了，收不到新的邮件了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de yóuxiāng mǎn le, shōu bu dào xīn de yóujiàn le.
  • English: My inbox is full, I can't receive new emails.
  • Analysis: 邮箱 (yóuxiāng) is the word for “mailbox” or “inbox.” The construction 收不到 (shōu bu dào) means “unable to receive.”
• Example 10:
  • 所有正式的沟通都应该通过邮件进行。
  • Pinyin: Suǒyǒu zhèngshì de gōutōng dōu yīnggāi tōngguò yóujiàn jìnxíng.
  • English: All formal communication should be conducted via email.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the formal role of 邮件 in business, contrasting with informal chats on other platforms.

• Mistake 1: Assuming 邮件 only means physical mail.
  • A beginner might hear 邮件 and think of a letter from the post office. This is the biggest pitfall. In 99% of modern contexts, especially in business or tech, 邮件 means email.
  • Incorrect: “I need to write an email.” → “我要写一个邮件。” (Wǒ yào xiě yī ge yóujiàn.)
  • Correct/More Natural: “I need to send an email.” → “我要发一个邮件。” (Wǒ yào fā yī ge yóujiàn.) (The action is “sending” (发), not “writing” (写), though “writing” isn't strictly wrong).
• 邮件 (yóujiàn) vs. 电子邮件 (diànzǐ yóujiàn):
  • 电子邮件 (diànzǐ yóujiàn) is the full, unambiguous term for “email.” You might see it in formal documents or when someone is being very precise.
  • In everyday speech and writing, simply use 邮件. Using the full term can sound a bit clunky or overly formal, like saying “electronic correspondence” instead of “email.”
• 邮件 (yóujiàn) vs. 信 (xìn):
  • 信 (xìn) specifically means “letter.” It evokes a sense of more personal, often physical, correspondence. You 写信 (xiě xìn) (write a letter) and 寄信 (jì xìn) (mail a letter).
  • You would send a 邮件 to your boss, but you might write a 信 to your grandmother. While an email is technically a type of electronic letter, using 信 for a business email would sound strange.

• 电子邮件 (diànzǐ yóujiàn) - The full, formal term for email (lit. “electronic mail”). 邮件 is its common abbreviation.
• 邮箱 (yóuxiāng) - Mailbox, but now almost exclusively means “email inbox.”
• 发件人 (fājiànrén) - Sender (of mail/email). The person who 发 (fā), or sends, the 件 (jiàn), or item.
• 收件人 (shōujiànrén) - Recipient (of mail/email). The person who 收 (shōu), or receives, the item.
• 附件 (fùjiàn) - Attachment. The “attached item” in an email.
• 垃圾邮件 (lājī yóujiàn) - Spam mail (lit. “garbage mail”).
• 地址 (dìzhǐ) - Address. Can be a physical address or an 邮件地址 (yóujiàn dìzhǐ) (email address).
• 寄 (jì) - To send, to mail. This verb is more associated with the physical postal service.
• 信 (xìn) - Letter. A more specific and often more personal term than 邮件.
• 快递 (kuàidì) - Express delivery, courier service. This is for physical packages and documents, not emails. You would use 快递 to send a contract, but 邮件 to send its digital version.