How to Say 'I'd Like to Send This Letter' in Japanese: Mailing Letters and Understanding Postage
Learn to hand a letter to a Japanese post office clerk, ask for the right postage, and choose between standard mail, express, and registered delivery.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
At a Japanese post office (yūbin-kyoku), the counter staff will usually weigh your letter and tell you the price, but you still need a few set phrases to start the exchange, ask about postage, and choose a service. This lesson focuses only on sending letters: how to say you would like to send one, how to ask how much postage it needs, and how to request options such as express mail (sokutatsu) or simplified registered mail (kan'i kakitome). You will practise the request pattern onegaishimasu, the 'how much' question, and the polite volitional form okuritai n desu ga, which softens a request and is very common at service counters.
By the end, you can…
- say I would like to send a letter at a post office counter.
- ask how much postage a letter needs and understand the answer.
- request express mail or registered mail for a letter.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
この手紙を送りたいんですが。
I'd like to send this letter.
Kono tegami o okuritai n desu ga.
The standard polite opener at a post office counter. The final ga softens the request and invites the clerk to respond.
切手はいくらですか。
How much are the stamps?
Kitte wa ikura desu ka.
Kitte means stamps. The clerk may answer with the amount you need to pay for postage.
普通郵便でお願いします。
Standard mail, please.
Futsū yūbin de onegaishimasu.
Futsū yūbin is ordinary mail. Add de onegaishimasu to state which service you want.
速達でお願いします。
Express mail, please.
Sokutatsu de onegaishimasu.
Sokutatsu is express delivery. It costs extra and usually arrives the next day or sooner.
簡易書留でお願いします。
Simplified registered mail, please.
Kan'i kakitome de onegaishimasu.
Kan'i kakitome gives tracking and limited compensation. For full registered mail, say kakitome.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern ~tai n desu ga expresses a wish politely and is ideal at counters. Kono tegami o okuritai n desu ga means 'I'd like to send this letter.' Replace the verb to change the action: kitte o kaitai n desu ga (I'd like to buy stamps), or kakitome ni shitai n desu ga (I'd like to make it registered). The n desu adds explanation, and ga softens the request, so the clerk knows you need help rather than simply stating a fact.
When to use it
Use kono tegami o okuritai n desu ga when you first approach the counter. If the clerk asks what you need, you can answer more briefly: kono tegami, onegaishimasu. To ask the price, say kitte wa ikura desu ka, or futsū yūbin de ikura ni narimasu ka (how much will standard mail be?). If you want a service, name it with de onegaishimasu: sokutatsu de onegaishimasu. The clerk may then confirm the total, for example hachijū-en desu (it's 80 yen).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、この手紙を送りたいんですが。
Excuse me, I'd like to send this letter.Sumimasen, kono tegami o okuritai n desu ga.はい、普通郵便ですか。
Yes, is it standard mail?Hai, futsū yūbin desu ka.はい。切手はいくらですか。
Yes. How much is the postage?Hai. Kitte wa ikura desu ka.百十円です。速達にしますか。
It's 110 yen. Would you like express mail?Hyakujū-en desu. Sokutatsu ni shimasu ka.A little context goes a long way
At Japanese post offices, staff often weigh the letter and state the price before you ask, so listen for numbers such as hachijū-en (80 yen) or hyakujū-en (110 yen). The counter is a service setting, so polite forms like onegaishimasu and ~tai n desu ga are expected. If you are unsure which service fits, ask dochira ga ii desu ka (which is better?) rather than choosing silently.
One thing to watch for
Saying kono tegami o okurimasu to mean 'I'd like to send this letter.'
Try this instead: Okurimasu is a plain statement of fact and can sound like you are announcing what you will do. At a counter, use the polite wish form: kono tegami o okuritai n desu ga. If you simply want to hand it over, kono tegami, onegaishimasu is also natural.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you politely say you would like to send a letter at the post office?
Show a sample answer
この手紙を送りたいんですが。 (Kono tegami o okuritai n desu ga.)
This uses the wish form ~tai plus n desu ga to soften the request. Kono tegami o okuritai desu is also correct but slightly more direct.
2Ask how much the postage is.
Show a sample answer
切手はいくらですか。 (Kitte wa ikura desu ka.)
Kitte means stamps and ikura desu ka asks the price. You could also ask futsū yūbin de ikura desu ka if you want the standard-mail price specifically.
3You want express delivery. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
速達でお願いします。 (Sokutatsu de onegaishimasu.)
Name the service with de and add onegaishimasu. Sokutatsu de onegaishimasu is the standard counter request; sokutatsu ni shite kudasai is also acceptable.
Start with kono tegami o okuritai n desu ga, ask kitte wa ikura desu ka, and choose your service with ~ de onegaishimasu. Listen for the price the clerk gives you.
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