<p>（电子）邮件、（电子）邮箱，都可以，平时都挺常用的，但意思不一样。通常“电子”可以省略。“邮箱”是指存储“邮件”的地方。</p>
<p>例：我昨天给你发了一封邮件，麻烦你打开邮箱看一眼。</p>
<p>Translation:</p>
<p>(电子)邮件, (电子)邮箱 are both OK and commonly used in our daily life, but they have different meanings. 电子 is usually omitted. 邮箱 is where 邮件 is stored.</p>
<p>e.g. I sent you an e-mail(邮件) yesterday. Please check your e-mail(邮箱) to see if you've received it.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-04T03:47:22.097Z
Great answer! However, although this is the chinese.SE site, I suggest you write your answer mainly in English, since most people here are still more accustomed to English rather than Chinese. But since you did provide a translation I think it's OK.
Admirer of the dragon flag
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-03T09:21:03.333Z
2024-10-03T09:21:03.333Z
iw17
<p>It seems like you already know the answer. 電子郵件 is the most formal and correct way to say &quot;email&quot; in Chinese. Chinese people either say the original English word &quot;email
&quot; (with accent, of course), or 電子郵件. <a href="https://hinative.com/questions/25480117" rel="nofollow noreferrer">There</a> <a href="https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the/chinese-word-for-a88b7dcd1a9e3e17770bbaa6d7515b31a2d7e85d.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">are</a> <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-chinese-simplified/email" rel="nofollow noreferrer">many</a> <a href="https://answers.echineselearning.com/questions/2010-09/09/104904169LNBJBGEU.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">sources</a> that support this. Basically that is the correct answer. Also, since the internet explosion and the world-wide use of email, in casual conversations we usually use &quot;
信&quot; alone to represent both digital and physical mail, depending on context. For example, &quot;我剛才寄了一封信到你的信箱, 待會去看一下&quot; infers that the &quot;信&quot; in this case is an email, since there's no point in mailing a physical letter to someone in front of you. On the other hand, the sentence &quot;你還有留著一年前張三寫給你的信嗎?&quot; infers the &quot;信&quot; in interest here is a physical mail.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-01T19:37:48.650Z
Yes, I sometimes know the answer but isn't sure / post it for the sake of more people seeing it.
Monokuma
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-01T19:39:20.043Z
To be clear, I would say: "我剛才**送**了一封信到你的**電子郵箱**,..."
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-01T19:39:53.647Z
I think it is true that saying "信" (mail) is great for casual conversions. Based on the context, we should be able to if it refers to physical or digital mail.
Monokuma
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-01T19:20:34.537Z
2024-10-01T19:20:34.537Z
Admirer of the dragon flag
<p>From my experience, many people in the Chinese community in America simply use the English word &quot;email.&quot; This is known as <em>lexical borrowing (loanword; 词汇借用)</em>. However, I am wondering what the proper word in Chinese for &quot;email&quot; is...</p>
<p>(From what I have observed. while both are precise translations, sometimes people mixes the two. Or just don't have a clear understanding of translating &quot;email&quot; into Chinese. This is close to a form of language contamination, where the misuse is spread throughout people.)</p>
<p>My understanding (based on feedback):</p>
<h2><strong>电子邮件 (Electronic mail)</strong></h2>
<p>缩写(Abbreviation):</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>电邮 (E-Mail)</strong>
<ul>
<li>电子 --&gt; 电 = Electronic</li>
<li>邮件 --&gt; 邮 = Mail</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Refers to emails; very general term that refers to a letter (信) sent through electronically. The abbreviation is the juxtaposition of 电子 and 邮件.</p>
<pre><code>Example: “关于那件事， 我已经发给教授一份电邮了。” 
</code></pre>
<hr />
<h2><strong>电子邮箱</strong> (Electronic Mailbox or Email Box)</h2>
<p>缩写(Abbreviation):</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>邮箱 (Mailbox)</strong>
<ul>
<li><s> 电子 </s></li>
<li>邮箱 = Mailbox</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Refers specifically to the mailbox. For the abbreviation, we can eliminate the suffix &quot;Electronic&quot; (电子) in in verbal contexts, as the speakers would know what are referring to a digital mailbox.</p>
<pre><code>  Example: “我想把它发到你的邮箱。”
</code></pre>
<hr />
<hr />
<p>Summarized translation:
These terms can refer to both physical and digital mail without the &quot;e-&quot; suffix. The suffix &quot;e-&quot;(电子) indicates electronic. However, in a conversational context, one should already know you are referring to digital mails, thus allowing the removal of the &quot;e-&quot; suffix in Chinese:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>电子邮件</strong> (diànzǐ yóujiàn) - Electronic mail (<strong>Email</strong>)</li>
<li><strong>邮件</strong> (yóujiàn) - <strong>Mail</strong></li>
</ul>
<hr />
<ul>
<li><strong>电子邮箱</strong> (diànzǐ yóuxiāng) - Electronic mailbox (<strong>Email Account / Email Box</strong>)</li>
<li><strong>邮箱</strong> (yóuxiāng) - <strong>Mailbox</strong></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-01T19:57:28.890Z
Why not [伊妹儿](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%BC%8A%E5%A6%B9%E5%85%92)? Seen it in a few textbooks throughout the years.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-01T20:11:33.537Z
oh no, that would be the accented transliteration. But wow, didn't know that's in wikipedia
Monokuma
<translation><word-choice><terminology>
How do you say "email" in Chinese?
# How do you say "email" in Chinese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-10-01)

From my experience, many people in the Chinese community in America simply use the English word "email." This is known as *lexical borrowing (loanword; 词汇借用)*. However, I am wondering what the proper word in Chinese for "email" is...

(From what I have observed. while both are precise translations, sometimes people mixes the two. Or just don't have a clear understanding of translating "email" into Chinese. This is close to a form of language contamination, where the misuse is spread throughout people.)

My understanding (based on feedback):

## **电子邮件 (Electronic mail)**

缩写(Abbreviation):

* **电邮 (E-Mail)**
  + 电子 --> 电 = Electronic
  + 邮件 --> 邮 = Mail

Refers to emails; very general term that refers to a letter (信) sent through electronically. The abbreviation is the juxtaposition of 电子 and 邮件.

```
Example: “关于那件事， 我已经发给教授一份电邮了。” 

```

---

## **电子邮箱** (Electronic Mailbox or Email Box)

缩写(Abbreviation):

* **邮箱 (Mailbox)**
  + ~~电子~~
  + 邮箱 = Mailbox

Refers specifically to the mailbox. For the abbreviation, we can eliminate the suffix "Electronic" (电子) in in verbal contexts, as the speakers would know what are referring to a digital mailbox.

```
  Example: “我想把它发到你的邮箱。”

```

---

---

Summarized translation:
These terms can refer to both physical and digital mail without the "e-" suffix. The suffix "e-"(电子) indicates electronic. However, in a conversational context, one should already know you are referring to digital mails, thus allowing the removal of the "e-" suffix in Chinese:

* **电子邮件** (diànzǐ yóujiàn) - Electronic mail (**Email**)
* **邮件** (yóujiàn) - **Mail**

---

* **电子邮箱** (diànzǐ yóuxiāng) - Electronic mailbox (**Email Account / Email Box**)
* **邮箱** (yóuxiāng) - **Mailbox**

**Tags:** translation, word-choice, terminology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Why not [伊妹儿](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%BC%8A%E5%A6%B9%E5%85%92)? Seen it in a few textbooks throughout the years.  
> **username_0**: oh no, that would be the accented transliteration. But wow, didn't know that's in wikipedia  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-10-03. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

（电子）邮件、（电子）邮箱，都可以，平时都挺常用的，但意思不一样。通常“电子”可以省略。“邮箱”是指存储“邮件”的地方。

例：我昨天给你发了一封邮件，麻烦你打开邮箱看一眼。

Translation:

(电子)邮件, (电子)邮箱 are both OK and commonly used in our daily life, but they have different meanings. 电子 is usually omitted. 邮箱 is where 邮件 is stored.

e.g. I sent you an e-mail(邮件) yesterday. Please check your e-mail(邮箱) to see if you've received it.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Great answer! However, although this is the chinese.SE site, I suggest you write your answer mainly in English, since most people here are still more accustomed to English rather than Chinese. But since you did provide a translation I think it's OK.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2024-10-01. Score: 2

It seems like you already know the answer. 電子郵件 is the most formal and correct way to say "email" in Chinese. Chinese people either say the original English word "email
" (with accent, of course), or 電子郵件. [There](https://hinative.com/questions/25480117) [are](https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the/chinese-word-for-a88b7dcd1a9e3e17770bbaa6d7515b31a2d7e85d.html) [many](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-chinese-simplified/email) [sources](https://answers.echineselearning.com/questions/2010-09/09/104904169LNBJBGEU.html) that support this. Basically that is the correct answer. Also, since the internet explosion and the world-wide use of email, in casual conversations we usually use "
信" alone to represent both digital and physical mail, depending on context. For example, "我剛才寄了一封信到你的信箱, 待會去看一下" infers that the "信" in this case is an email, since there's no point in mailing a physical letter to someone in front of you. On the other hand, the sentence "你還有留著一年前張三寫給你的信嗎?" infers the "信" in interest here is a physical mail.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Yes, I sometimes know the answer but isn't sure / post it for the sake of more people seeing it.  
> **username_4**: To be clear, I would say: "我剛才**送**了一封信到你的**電子郵箱**,..."  
> **username_0**: I think it is true that saying "信" (mail) is great for casual conversions. Based on the context, we should be able to if it refers to physical or digital mail.  

---

