1.
email; electronic mail
A message sent between computers or mobile devices over a network; the full Japanese term for email. Commonly shortened to just メール in everyday speech.
電子メールを送る。
To send an email.
電子メールで書類を提出してください。
Please submit the documents by email.
お問い合わせは、電子メールまたは電話でお願いします。
For inquiries, please contact us by email or telephone.
最近は電子メールよりもチャットアプリで連絡を取る人が増えている。
Recently, more people use chat apps rather than email to stay in touch.
Composed of 電子 (electronic) + メール (mail, from English). The formal, full-length term for email, used in official notices, legal documents, business forms, and signage — places where the casual shortened form メール would feel too informal.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 電子メールを送る: to send an email
- 電子メールを受け取る: to receive an email
- 電子メールアドレス: email address
- 電子メールで連絡する: to contact by email
- 電子メールマガジン: email newsletter
SIMILAR WORDS:
- メール: mail / email — the everyday shortened form; far more common in conversation. Ambiguously refers to email, SMS, or messaging depending on context.
- Eメール: e-mail — another written form, seen on forms and older materials.
- メッセージ: message — broader; includes chat app messages, SMS, etc.
USAGE:
In conversation, simply say メール. Use 電子メール in formal writing, government documents, or when explicitly distinguishing email from other kinds of messages (such as postal mail, SMS, or in-app chat). Historically the formal term was needed to distinguish email from 郵便 (postal mail), but as email became ubiquitous the short form took over.