N3 · 40 words

Post office and bank in Japanese

Letters, parcels and stamps, and opening an account and taking money out.

Practise this list

From these 40 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.

More about this list

Japanese post offices also handle savings and transfers, so the two belong on one page. Money is "lowered" out of an account — お金(かね)を下(お)ろす — and a transfer straight into someone else's account, 振(ふ)り込(こ)み, is how rent and many bills are paid. An address is written from the largest unit to the smallest, the reverse of English, with the postcode first.

The words

Verb (6)

下(お)ろすto withdraw (money); to take downVerbN4

銀行(ぎんこう)でお金(かね)を下(お)ろしました。I took some money out at the bank.

Letting someone off a vehicle is written 降(お)ろす.

振(ふ)り込(こ)むto transfer (money into an account)VerbN4

家賃(やちん)を大家(おおや)さんの口座(こうざ)に振(ふ)り込(こ)みました。I paid the rent into the landlord's account.

引(ひ)き出(だ)すto withdraw; to pull outVerbN3

口座(こうざ)から一万円(いちまんえん)を引(ひ)き出(だ)しました。I withdrew ten thousand yen from my account.

The written word; in conversation 下(お)ろす is more usual.

貯(た)めるto save up (money)VerbN4

旅行(りょこう)のためにお金(かね)を貯(た)めています。I am saving up for a trip.

貼(は)るto stick; to put onVerbN4

封筒(ふうとう)に切手(きって)を貼(は)りました。I stuck a stamp on the envelope.

引(ひ)き落(お)とすto debit (by direct debit)VerbN2

電気代(でんきだい)は毎月(まいつき)口座(こうざ)から引(ひ)き落(お)とされます。The electricity bill is taken from my account every month.

Mostly in the passive, since the bank does the debiting.

Noun (34)

手紙(てがみ)letterNounN5

祖母(そぼ)に手紙(てがみ)を書(か)きました。I wrote a letter to my grandmother.

切手(きって)stampNounN4

切手(きって)を三枚(さんまい)ください。Three stamps, please.

Counted with 〜枚(まい), like other flat things.

口座(こうざ)bank accountNounN4

銀行(ぎんこう)で口座(こうざ)を開(ひら)きました。I opened an account at the bank.

An account is "opened" or "made": 口座(こうざ)を作(つく)る.

封筒(ふうとう)envelopeNounN4

書類(しょるい)を封筒(ふうとう)に入(い)れて送(おく)ります。I'll put the documents in an envelope and post them.

はがきpostcardNounN4

旅行先(りょこうさき)から家族(かぞく)にはがきを出(だ)しました。I sent my family a postcard while I was away.

Also written 葉書(はがき). Letters and postcards are "put out": 出(だ)す.

小包(こづつみ)parcelNounN4

母(はは)から小包(こづつみ)が届(とど)きました。A parcel has come from my mother.

速達(そくたつ)express postNounN4

急(いそ)ぐので、速達(そくたつ)でお願(ねが)いします。It's urgent, so express, please.

書留(かきとめ)registered postNounN2

大切(たいせつ)な書類(しょるい)なので、書留(かきとめ)で送(おく)ります。They're important documents, so I'll send them by registered post.

宛名(あてな)addressee's name and addressNounN2

封筒(ふうとう)に宛名(あてな)を書(か)きました。I wrote the name and address on the envelope.

郵便番号(ゆうびんばんごう)postcodeNounN4

住所(じゅうしょ)の前(まえ)に郵便番号(ゆうびんばんごう)を書(か)きます。The postcode goes before the address.

ポストpostboxNounN4

駅(えき)の前(まえ)のポストに手紙(てがみ)を入(い)れました。I posted the letter in the postbox outside the station.

通帳(つうちょう)bankbook; passbookNounN3

通帳(つうちょう)を見(み)て、残高(ざんだか)を確(たし)かめました。I checked the balance in my bankbook.

キャッシュカードcash card; bank cardNounN4

キャッシュカードをなくしたら、すぐ銀行(ぎんこう)に連絡(れんらく)してください。If you lose your bank card, contact the bank straight away.

暗証番号(あんしょうばんごう)PINNounN2

暗証番号(あんしょうばんごう)は誰(だれ)にも教(おし)えないでください。Never tell anyone your PIN.

預金(よきん)savings; deposit (in a bank)NounN3

毎月(まいつき)少(すこ)しずつ預金(よきん)しています。I put a little into savings every month.

Also a verb: 預金(よきん)する.

硬貨(こうか)coinNounN4

この機械(きかい)は硬貨(こうか)しか使(つか)えません。This machine only takes coins.

入金(にゅうきん)payment in; money receivedNounN2

給料(きゅうりょう)が入金(にゅうきん)されたかどうか、通帳(つうちょう)で確(たし)かめました。I checked my bankbook to see whether my wages had been paid in.

Also a verb: 入金(にゅうきん)する.

受取人(うけとりにん)recipient (of a parcel or payment)NounN3

受取人(うけとりにん)が留守(るす)だったので、荷物(にもつ)は郵便局(ゆうびんきょく)に戻(もど)りました。The recipient was out, so the parcel went back to the post office.

利子(りし)interest (on money)NounN3

この口座(こうざ)には利子(りし)がほとんどつきません。This account pays almost no interest.

残高(ざんだか)balance (of an account)NounN2

残高(ざんだか)が足(た)りなくて、払(はら)えませんでした。There wasn't enough in the account, so I couldn't pay.

送金(そうきん)sending money; remittanceNounN2

毎月(まいつき)、国(くに)の家族(かぞく)に送金(そうきん)しています。Every month I send money to my family back home.

Also a verb: 送金(そうきん)する.

郵便(ゆうびん)post; mailNounN4

今日(きょう)は郵便(ゆうびん)が来(き)ませんでした。The post didn't come today.

船便(ふなびん)sea mail; surface mailNounN4

重(おも)い荷物(にもつ)は船便(ふなびん)のほうが安(やす)いです。Heavy parcels are cheaper by sea mail.

航空便(こうくうびん)airmailNounN4

航空便(こうくうびん)は船便(ふなびん)より早(はや)く着(つ)きます。Airmail arrives sooner than sea mail.

国際郵便(こくさいゆうびん)international postNounN3

国際郵便(こくさいゆうびん)で家族(かぞく)に本(ほん)を送(おく)りました。I sent some books to my family by international post.

段(だん)ボールcardboard; cardboard boxNounN3

本(ほん)を段(だん)ボールに入(い)れて送(おく)りました。I packed the books in a cardboard box and sent them.

郵送(ゆうそう)sending by postNounN2

申込書(もうしこみしょ)は郵送(ゆうそう)してください。Please send the application form by post.

Also a verb: 郵送(ゆうそう)する.

消印(けしいん)postmarkNounN2

消印(けしいん)を見(み)ると、一週間前(いっしゅうかんまえ)に出(だ)された手紙(てがみ)でした。According to the postmark, the letter had been sent a week earlier.

外貨(がいか)foreign currencyNounN2

残(のこ)った外貨(がいか)を円(えん)に替(か)えました。I changed my leftover foreign currency back into yen.

金額(きんがく)amount (of money)NounN3

振(ふ)り込(こ)む前(まえ)に、金額(きんがく)をもう一度(いちど)確(たし)かめてください。Check the amount once more before you make the transfer.

郵便受(ゆうびんう)けletterbox (at home)NounN4

毎朝(まいあさ)郵便(ゆうびん)受(う)けを見(み)ます。I check the letterbox every morning.

The box for your own post; the red box in the street is a ポスト.

絵(え)はがきpicture postcardNounN4

京都(きょうと)で絵(え)はがきを何枚(なんまい)か買(か)いました。I bought a few picture postcards in Kyoto.

小切手(こぎって)chequeNounN2

小切手(こぎって)で払(はら)うことはできますか。Can I pay by cheque?

明細(めいさい)statement; itemised detailsNounN2

毎月(まいつき)カードの明細(めいさい)を確(たし)かめています。I check my card statement every month.

Back to the quiz ↑

Missing a word? Look it up in the dictionary

This list belongs to Shopping, money and services — seven lists and 280 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Hear and recognise these words in the listening trainer