航空便(こうくうびん)

こうくうびん
noun
airmail; air freight
spokenwrittentransportationcommunication
1. airmail; air post
Mail sent by airplane, typically for international correspondence. Faster but more expensive than surface mail.
航空便(こうくうびん)で送(おく)る。
To send by airmail.
航空便(こうくうびん)なら一週間(いっしゅうかん)で届(とど)きます。
It will arrive in a week by airmail.
国際(こくさい)郵便(ゆうびん)は航空便(こうくうびん)と船便(ふなびん)のどちらかを選(えら)べます。
For international mail, you can choose between airmail and surface mail.
2. air freight; air cargo shipment
Goods or packages transported by airplane, as opposed to sea freight or overland transport.
荷物(にもつ)を航空便(こうくうびん)で発送(はっそう)した。
I shipped the package by air freight.
航空便(こうくうびん)は料金(りょうきん)が高(たか)いが早(はや)い。
Air freight is expensive but fast.
生鮮(せいせん)食品(しょくひん)は航空便(こうくうびん)で輸送(ゆそう)されることが多(おお)い。
Fresh food is often transported by air freight.

Compound of 航空(こうくう) ('aviation; air') and 便(びん) ('mail service; delivery; flight'). The standard term used at post offices and shipping companies for air transport of mail or cargo.

Usage

  • At a Japanese post office, when sending international mail you will be asked to choose between 航空便(こうくうびん) and 船便(ふなびん) ('surface mail; sea mail').
  • The word also applies to commercial cargo shipped by air, as opposed to 船便(ふなびん) or 陸便(りくびん) ('overland transport').
  • On envelopes and packages, often written in the abbreviated form エアメール (from English 'airmail') or marked with the French-origin label PAR AVION.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 船便(ふなびん): surface mail; sea mail — slower and cheaper alternative using ships
  • エアメール: airmail — English loanword used interchangeably, especially in casual contexts
  • 速達(そくたつ): express delivery — domestic express mail service, different from airmail
  • 郵便(ゆうびん): mail; post — the general term for postal service

Related Words

Compare: 船便(ふなびん) (surface mail)
Compare: 速達(そくたつ) (express delivery)
Compare: 郵便(ゆうびん) (mail)
Compare: 便名(びんめい) (flight number)
general
Added 2026.4.19 0:14 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
24000/24353_koukuubin