Personal Letters and Emails

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to read and understand the structure and common phrases used in personal letters and casual emails in Japanese. You'll recognize key opening/closing expressions and understand how formality shifts between letters and emails.

Personal letters (手紙 tegami) and casual emails (メール mēru) in Japanese follow specific patterns. Letters tend to be more formal and structured, while emails can be more relaxed. Both use set phrases for greetings, closings, and transitions. Understanding these patterns helps you grasp the overall message even if you don't know every word.手紙

1. Letter vs. Email: Key Differences

2. Common Opening Phrases

• 拝啓 (haikei) – "Dear..." (formal letter opening)拝啓
• 〇〇さんへ ([name]-san e) – "To [name]" (email/letter)
• お元気ですか？ (o-genki desu ka?) – "How are you?"元気
• お久しぶりです (o-hisashiburi desu) – "Long time no see"久
• 突然のメールすみません (totsuzen no mēru sumimasen) – "Sorry for the sudden email"突然

3. Common Body Phrases

• この間はありがとうございました (kono aida wa arigatō gozaimashita) – "Thank you for the other day"間
• 実は… (jitsu wa…) – "Actually…" (to introduce news)実
• ところで (tokoro de) – "By the way"
• 〜についてですが (〜ni tsuite desu ga) – "Regarding…"

4. Common Closing Phrases

• 敬具 (keigu) – "Sincerely" (formal letter closing)敬具
• 取り急ぎお礼まで (toriisogi orei made) – "Just a quick thank you"取急礼
• また連絡します (mata renraku shimasu) – "I'll contact you again"連絡
• では、また (dewa, mata) – "Well, see you later"
• 元気でね (genki de ne) – "Take care" (casual)元気

5. Structure of a Typical Letter

1. Opening greeting (拝啓 + season greeting or "How are you?")拝啓
2. Main message (news, thanks, request)
3. Closing remarks (take care, write back soon)
4. Signature (敬具 + your name)敬具

6. Structure of a Typical Casual Email

1. Subject line (often in brackets, e.g., [こんにちは])
2. Recipient (名前さんへ)名前
3. Body (direct, friendly)
4. Closing (またね, よろしく)
5. Signature (your name or nickname)

Example 1: Formal Letter

拝啓
お元気ですか。こちらは毎日暑いです。
先週、友達と富士山に登りました。とても楽しかったです。
では、また手紙を書きます。
敬具
田中拝啓元気毎日

Haikei
O-genki desu ka. Kochira wa mainichi atsui desu.
Senshū, tomodachi to Fujisan ni noborimashita. Totemo tanoshikatta desu.
Dewa, mata tegami o kakimasu.
Keigu
Tanaka

"Dear Tanaka,
How are you? It's hot here every day.
Last week, I climbed Mt. Fuji with a friend. It was very fun.
Well, I'll write again.
Sincerely,
Tanaka"

Example 2: Casual Email

さとうさんへ
こんにちは！元気？
今週の土曜日、カフェに行かない？
時間があったら教えてね。
またね
ゆき元気今週土曜

Satō-san e
Konnichiwa! Genki?
Konshū no doyōbi, kafe ni ikanai?
Jikan ga attara oshiete ne.
Mata ne
Yuki

"To Sato-san,
Hi! How are you?
Want to go to a cafe this Saturday?
Let me know if you have time.
See you later,
Yuki"

Example 3: Thank-you Email

先生へ
この間は本当にありがとうございました。
おかげさまで、試験に合格しました！
またご報告します。
よろしくお願いします。
学生より先生間本当試

Sensei e
Kono aida wa hontō ni arigatō gozaimashita.
Okagesama de, shiken ni gōkaku shimashita!
Mata gohōkoku shimasu.
Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.
Gakusei yori

"To Teacher,
Thank you so much for the other day.
Thanks to you, I passed the exam!
I'll report again.
Best regards,
From a student"

❌ Using 拝啓 (haikei) in a casual email to a friend.
✅ Use 〇〇さんへ ([name]-san e) or just start with こんにちは (konnichiwa).拝啓

❌ Forgetting the closing pair: 拝啓 must be matched with 敬具.
✅ Always pair 拝啓 with 敬具 in formal letters.拝啓敬具

❌ Mixing polite and casual styles in one message.
✅ Choose one tone (polite or casual) and stick with it throughout.

1. Fill in the blank: In a formal letter, you open with ______ and close with ______.

2. You receive an email starting with "たろうさんへ". Is this more likely a formal letter or a casual email? Why?

3. Match the phrase to its meaning:

   • お久しぶりです → (a) "By the way"久
   • ところで → (b) "Long time no see"
   • 実は → (c) "Actually…"実
   久実

4. Write a short 2-sentence casual email to a friend asking how they are and suggesting you meet next week. Use さんへ and またね.

You now know the basic structure of personal letters and casual emails in Japanese. You can recognize common openings, body phrases, and closings. Practice by reading real Japanese emails or letters (try pen pal sites or language exchange messages). Next, learn how to write replies and use polite request phrases like 〜ていただけませんか.