音信(おんしん)

おんしん
noun
correspondence; word; news (from someone)
communication
1. correspondence; word; news (from someone)
Communication or contact from a person, especially letters or messages that indicate someone is alive and well.
彼(かれ)とは音信(おんしん)不通(ふつう)になった。
I lost all contact with him.
長(なが)い間(あいだ)音信(おんしん)がなかった友人(ゆうじん)から手紙(てがみ)が届(とど)いた。
A letter arrived from a friend I hadn't heard from in a long time.
海外(かいがい)に引(ひ)っ越(こ)してからは音信(おんしん)が途絶(とだ)えてしまった。
After moving overseas, all communication was cut off.

Most commonly encountered in the set expression 音信(おんしん)不通(ふつう) (losing all contact with someone). The word itself means news or communication from a person, but it is used almost exclusively in negative or loss-of-contact contexts.

Common collocations

  • 音信(おんしん)不通(ふつう): loss of contact; no word from someone
  • 音信(おんしん)が途絶(とだ)える: for communication to be cut off
  • 音信(おんしん)がない: to have no word/contact

Usage

Also read as いんしん in some contexts, though おんしん is the standard modern reading. The expression 音信(おんしん)不通(ふつう) is by far the most common usage — learners should prioritize this four-character compound.

Similar words

Related Words

Compare: 連絡(れんらく) (contact/communication)
Compare: 便(たよ)り (news/letter from someone)
general
Added 2026.4.18 2:39 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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