Japanese Lesson 48 – Emails & Postcards · N5

📋 Expression Reference — Emails & Postcards

Key phrases across formality levels. Press ▶ to hear any expression.

FORMAL — けいご (KEIGO)

Expression	Romaji	Typical Response	Context
おいそがしいところすみません。	O-isogashii tokoro sumimasen.	いいえ、だいじょうぶですよ。 Iie, daijoubu desu yo.	Opening line in a formal email — apologising for the interruption
おへんじおまちしております。	O-henji o-machi shite orimasu.	かしこまりました。 Kashikomarimashita.	Closing a formal email — "I await your reply"
～についておしらせします。	~ ni tsuite o-shirase shimasu.	ありがとうございます。 Arigatou gozaimasu.	Informing someone about a topic in writing
よろしくおねがいします。	Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.	こちらこそ、よろしくおねがいします。 Kochira koso, yoroshiku onegai shimasu.	Standard closing for formal emails and letters

STANDARD — ていねい (TEINEI)

Expression	Romaji	Typical Response	Context
メールをおくります。	Meeru wo okurimasu.	おねがいします。 Onegai shimasu.	Telling someone you will send an email
メールをもらいました。	Meeru wo moraimashita.	よかったです。 Yokatta desu.	Confirming you received an email
はがきをかきます。	Hagaki wo kakimasu.	いいですね。 Ii desu ne.	Saying you will write a postcard
ごれんらくありがとうございます。	Go-renraku arigatou gozaimasu.	いいえ、とんでもないです。 Iie, tondemonai desu.	Thanking someone for contacting you

🗣 Mini Dialogues

Three scenes at different formality levels. Press ▶ to hear each line.

A — FORMAL · Student Writing Email to Teacher

エマ

たなかせんせいへ。おいそがしいところすみません。

Tanaka-sensei e. O-isogashii tokoro sumimasen.

Dear Tanaka-sensei. I'm sorry to bother you while you're busy.

[NAME] せんせいへ。おいそがしいところすみません。

[name] sensei e. O-isogashii tokoro sumimasen.

[name] teacher (to). busy-place sorry

"Dear [name]-sensei. Sorry to bother you." — formal email opening

エマ

しゅくだいについておしらせしたいとおもいます。

Shukudai ni tsuite o-shirase shitai to omoimasu.

I would like to inform you about the homework.

[TOPIC] についておしらせしたいとおもいます。

[topic] ni tsuite o-shirase shitai to omoimasu.

[topic] about inform-want think

"I would like to inform you about [topic]." — polite written request

エマ

おへんじおまちしております。よろしくおねがいします。

O-henji o-machi shite orimasu. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

I await your reply. Thank you in advance.

B — STANDARD · Friends Discussing a Thank-You Postcard

ゆき

おばあちゃんにおれいのはがきをかきたいです。

Obaachan ni o-rei no hagaki wo kakitai desu.

I want to write a thank-you postcard to my grandma.

みか

いいですね。なにをかきますか？

Ii desu ne. Nani wo kakimasu ka?

That's nice. What will you write?

ゆき

プレゼントありがとう、とかきます。

Purezento arigatou, to kakimasu.

I'll write "Thank you for the present."

[MESSAGE] 、とかきます。

[message] , to kakimasu.

[content] (quote) write

"I'll write '[message].'" — quoting written content

C — STANDARD · Colleagues Discussing a Received Email

けんた

やまださんからメールをもらいました。

Yamada-san kara meeru wo moraimashita.

I received an email from Yamada-san.

[PERSON] からメールをもらいました。

[person] kara meeru wo moraimashita.

[person] from email (obj.) received

"I received an email from [person]." — reporting correspondence

あき

なにについてですか？

Nani ni tsuite desu ka?

What is it about?

けんた

らいしゅうのかいぎについてです。すぐへんじをおくります。

Raishuu no kaigi ni tsuite desu. Sugu henji wo okurimasu.

It's about next week's meeting. I'll send a reply right away.

📋 Key Patterns & Cheatsheet ▼

Email greeting — ～さんへ / おいそがしいところ

FORMAL

[NAME] さんへ。おいそがしいところすみません。

[name] -san e. O-isogashii tokoro sumimasen.

"Dear [name]. Sorry to bother you while you're busy." (keigo opening)

STANDARD

[NAME] さんへ。ごれんらくありがとうございます。

[name] -san e. Go-renraku arigatou gozaimasu.

"Dear [name]. Thank you for contacting me." (polite opening)

Talking about a topic — ～について

🔵 FORMAL

しゅくだいについておしらせします。

Shukudai ni tsuite o-shirase shimasu.

I will inform you about the homework.

おしらせします uses the honorific お prefix for written formality.

🟢 STANDARD

かいぎについてです。

Kaigi ni tsuite desu.

It's about the meeting.

について + です = simple "it's about ~" in conversation.

Sending and receiving — おくります / もらいました

STANDARD

[PERSON] にメールをおくります。

[person] ni meeru wo okurimasu.

"I will send an email to [person]."

STANDARD

[PERSON] からメールをもらいました。

[person] kara meeru wo moraimashita.

"I received an email from [person]."

Email closing — よろしくおねがいします / おへんじおまちしております

FORMAL

おへんじおまちしております。よろしくおねがいします。

O-henji o-machi shite orimasu. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

"I await your reply. Thank you in advance." — formal email sign-off

STANDARD

おへんじまっています。

O-henji matte imasu.

"I'm waiting for your reply." — polite but less formal

A — Flashcards

Click a card to flip it. Use ▶ to hear the Japanese.

tap to flip

1 / 10

B — Listen & Choose the Meaning

Press ▶ to hear each phrase, then choose the correct English meaning.

C — Choose the Right Response

Listen to the question, then choose the most natural reply.

D — Listen & Write in Romaji

Press ▶ to hear each phrase, then type what you heard in romaji. Japanese letters are not needed.

💡 Tip: Long vowels → double the vowel (おう = ou / oo). Double consonants → write them twice (きって = kitte).

E — Shadowing Practice

Press ▶ to hear each line, say it aloud, then mark it as practised.

0 of 9 lines practised

📖 Grammar Notes ▼

～さんへ / ～より — Letter addressing

へ (e) marks the recipient in a letter or email heading. より (yori) marks the sender at the sign-off.

• たなかせんせいへ = "Dear Tanaka-sensei" (to)
• エマより = "From Emma" (from)

In emails, へ is used after the name at the very top. より appears at the bottom before your name.

[RECIPIENT] へ

[recipient] e

"Dear [recipient]" — letter/email greeting

たなかせんせいへ。

Tanaka-sensei e.

Dear Tanaka-sensei.

よろしくおねがいします — Closing request

A versatile closing phrase meaning "please treat this favourably" or "thank you in advance." Used at the end of emails, letters, and requests.

• Formal emails: always include this before your name
• Spoken: used when asking for a favour or meeting someone new

More formal version: よろしくおねがいいたします (itashimasu).

よろしくおねがいします。

Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

"Thank you in advance." / "I look forward to your help."

おへんじおまちしております。よろしくおねがいします。

O-henji o-machi shite orimasu. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

I await your reply. Thank you in advance.

おいそがしいところ — "While you are busy"

おいそがしいところ (o-isogashii tokoro) literally means "in the midst of being busy." It is a set phrase used to politely acknowledge someone's time before making a request.

• Always followed by すみません (sumimasen) = "I'm sorry"
• Used in formal emails and spoken business Japanese

The お prefix on いそがしい makes it honorific (referring to the other person's busyness).

おいそがしいところすみません。

O-isogashii tokoro sumimasen.

"I'm sorry to bother you while you're busy."

おいそがしいところすみません。しつもんがあります。

O-isogashii tokoro sumimasen. Shitsumon ga arimasu.

Sorry to bother you while you're busy. I have a question.

～について — "About ~"

について (ni tsuite) means "about" or "regarding." Attach it to a noun to indicate the topic.

• しゅくだいについて = about the homework
• かいぎについて = about the meeting

Often combined with おしらせします (o-shirase shimasu = "I will inform you") in formal writing.

[TOPIC] について

[topic] ni tsuite

"About [topic]" / "Regarding [topic]"

らいしゅうのかいぎについてです。

Raishuu no kaigi ni tsuite desu.

It's about next week's meeting.

～をおくります / もらいます — Sending and receiving

おくります (okurimasu) = "to send." もらいます (moraimasu) = "to receive."

• [PERSON] にメールをおくります = send email TO someone
• [PERSON] からメールをもらいました = received email FROM someone

に marks the recipient (to); から marks the sender (from).

[PERSON] から [ITEM] をもらいました。

[person] kara [item] wo moraimashita.

"I received [item] from [person]."

やまださんからメールをもらいました。

Yamada-san kara meeru wo moraimashita.

I received an email from Yamada-san.

ていねいご in written form — Polite language in writing

Written Japanese often uses more polite forms than speech. Key patterns:

  • おまちしております (o-machi shite orimasu) — humble "I am waiting" (more formal than まっています)
  • おしらせします (o-shirase shimasu) — humble "I will inform"
  • ごれんらく (go-renraku) — honorific prefix ご on れんらく (contact)

The お/ご prefixes elevate the register in written correspondence.

お [VERB-stem] します / しております

o- [verb-stem] shimasu / shite orimasu

"I humbly [verb]" — humble form for written politeness

おへんじおまちしております。

O-henji o-machi shite orimasu.

I await your reply. (humble/written)

～たいとおもいます — "I would like to ~"

～たい (tai) = "want to ~." Adding とおもいます (to omoimasu) = "I think" softens it to "I would like to ~."

• かきたい = want to write
• かきたいとおもいます = I would like to write

This softer form is preferred in polite writing and formal speech.

[VERB-ます stem] たいとおもいます。

[verb-masu stem] tai to omoimasu.

"I would like to [verb]." — softened desire

おばあちゃんにはがきをかきたいとおもいます。

Obaachan ni hagaki wo kakitai to omoimasu.

I would like to write a postcard to my grandma.

📚 Key Vocabulary ▼

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
メール	meeru	email
はがき	hagaki	postcard
てがみ	tegami	letter
へんじ	henji	reply
れんらく	renraku	contact / correspondence
おくります	okurimasu	to send
もらいます	moraimasu	to receive
かきます	kakimasu	to write
おしらせ	o-shirase	notice / information
しゅくだい	shukudai	homework
かいぎ	kaigi	meeting
プレゼント	purezento	present / gift
おれい	o-rei	thanks / gratitude
らいしゅう	raishuu	next week
すぐ	sugu	right away / immediately

📋 Expression Reference — Emails & Postcards

🗣 Mini Dialogues

A — Flashcards

B — Listen & Choose the Meaning

C — Choose the Right Response

D — Listen & Write in Romaji

E — Shadowing Practice

～さんへ / ～より — Letter addressing

よろしくおねがいします — Closing request

おいそがしいところ — "While you are busy"

～について — "About ~"

～を おくります / もらいます — Sending and receiving

ていねいご in written form — Polite language in writing

～たいと おもいます — "I would like to ~"

～をおくります / もらいます — Sending and receiving

～たいとおもいます — "I would like to ~"