Meaning
郵 means mail, post, and postal service. It appears in nearly every word connected to sending letters, parcels, and official correspondence — from post office signs to shipping forms. In everyday Japanese, this kanji is hard to miss.
The character traces back to ancient China, where it referred to official relay stations spaced along imperial roads. Mounted messengers would gallop from one station to the next, handing off documents and dispatches. It was an early postal system — and the concept of relay across distance still lives inside the kanji today.
Structurally, 郵 has two parts. The left carries a modified form of 垂 (to hang, to droop). The right carries the radical 阝 — a simplified form of 邑, meaning village or settlement. Together, they suggest messages hanging and moving from village to village down the road. The kanji takes 11 strokes and is taught in Japanese elementary school at Grade 6.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
郵 has a single on'yomi: ユウ (yuu). Every compound built around this kanji uses it — so learning one reading opens the door to the whole postal vocabulary family.
郵便 (yuubin) — mail, post: The most important compound. 便 means convenience or service, so 郵便 suggests a reliable delivery system. You will see and hear this word almost daily in Japan.
郵送 (yuusou) — sending by mail: 送 means to send. 郵送 specifically refers to dispatching something through the postal system, as distinct from hand delivery or private courier.
郵政 (yuusei) — postal administration: 政 means government administration. Japan Post became a household name during the 郵政民営化 (yuusei mineika) privatisation reforms of the 2000s.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
郵 has no kun'yomi. That is not unusual for kanji that entered Japanese through the Chinese administrative tradition — institutional concepts often kept their Chinese readings and never developed a native Japanese equivalent. Every practical use of this kanji goes through the on'yomi ユウ (yuu). Focus on the compounds; there is no standalone reading to search for.
Common Words & Compounds
郵 sits at the heart of Japanese postal vocabulary. These compounds come up constantly — on envelopes, at post offices, and in everyday conversation.
General Postal Terms
- 郵便 (yuubin) — mail, post
- 郵送 (yuusou) — sending by mail
- 郵送料 (yuusouryou) — postage fee, mailing cost
- 郵政 (yuusei) — postal administration
- 郵貯 (yuucho) — postal savings (short for 郵便貯金)
Post Office & Delivery
- 郵便局 (yuubinkyoku) — post office
- 郵便配達 (yuubinhaitatsu) — mail delivery
- 郵便受け (yuubinuke) — mailbox (receiving), mail slot
- 郵便箱 (yuubinbako) — mailbox, postbox
Addresses & Codes
- 郵便番号 (yuubinbangou) — postal code, zip code
- 郵便物 (yuubinbutsu) — mail items, postal matter
- 郵便切手 (yuubin kitte) — postage stamp
Example Sentences
郵便局はどこですか？
Yuubinkyoku wa doko desu ka?
Where is the post office?
この荷物を郵送したいです。
Kono nimotsu wo yuusou shitai desu.
I'd like to send this package by mail.
郵便番号を記入してください。
Yuubinbangou wo kinyuu shite kudasai.
Please fill in the postal code.
郵便受けに手紙が入っていました。
Yuubinuke ni tegami ga haitte imashita.
There was a letter in the mailbox.
郵送料はいくらですか？
Yuusouryou wa ikura desu ka?
How much is the postage?
郵便で書類を送りました。
Yuubin de shorui wo okurimashita.
I sent the documents by mail.
郵便切手を一枚ください。
Yuubin kitte wo ichimai kudasai.
One stamp, please.
郵便物は毎朝届きます。
Yuubinbutsu wa maiasa todokimasu.
The mail arrives every morning.
日本の郵政サービスはとても信頼できます。
Nihon no yuusei saabisu wa totemo shinrai dekimasu.
Japan's postal service is extremely reliable.
郵便局で荷物を受け取ることができます。
Yuubinkyoku de nimotsu wo uketoru koto ga dekimasu.
You can pick up packages at the post office.
Memory Tip
Picture an ancient relay station on a road between villages. The right side of 郵 contains the radical 阝, which represents a village or settlement. A messenger rides in exhausted, hangs (垂 — to droop, hang) his pouch of letters on the station post, then rides on to the next town.
Mail is something hung and passed from village to village. Every time you see 郵, picture that pouch swinging onto the hook at the next relay station. As for the reading — ユウ (yuu) — just think: "You use 郵 to send mail."