How to Send a Letter in Korean: 우편으로 보내다 and Asking About Postage
Learn to say you want to send a letter at a Korean post office, ask how much postage costs, and understand the difference between 편지 and 우편.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
At a Korean post office (우체국, ucheguk), you will usually tell the clerk what you want to send and then ask about the cost. The key verb is 보내다 (bonaeda, 'to send'), and the key noun is 편지 (pyeonji, 'letter'). This lesson gives you the exact phrases for handing over a letter, asking for stamps, and checking the price. You will also learn why ordinary speech in a post office often uses -고 싶어요 (I want to) or -려고 해요 (I intend to), and how to ask 우표 (upyo, 'stamp') and 요금 (yogeum, 'fee') questions without sounding rude or overly formal.
By the end, you can…
- say I want to send a letter in Korean using 보내다.
- ask how much postage costs and request the correct number of stamps.
- understand the difference between 편지, 우편, and 우표 in a post office context.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
이 편지를 보내고 싶어요.
I'd like to send this letter.
i pyeonjireul bonaego sipeoyo
The most direct way to state your goal at the counter. Use it while holding the letter so the clerk can see it.
우편으로 보내려고 해요.
I intend to send it by mail.
upyeoneuro bonaeryeogo haeyo
Use when you want to emphasize the method, for example when comparing mail with a courier service.
이 편지 요금이 얼마예요?
How much is the postage for this letter?
i pyeonji yogeumi eolmayeyo?
A polite, common question. 요금 (yogeum) means 'fee' or 'rate' and is standard at post offices.
우표 한 장 주세요.
Please give me one stamp.
upyo han jang juseyo
장 (jang) is the counter for flat items such as stamps, sheets, and tickets. Use 주세요 for a polite request.
등기로 보내 주세요.
Please send it by registered mail.
deunggiro bonae juseyo
등기 (deunggi) means 'registered mail.' Use this when you need proof of mailing or a tracking number.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern -고 싶어요 (-go sipeoyo) attaches to a verb stem and means 'I want to.' With 보내다 (bonaeda, 'to send'), the stem is 보내- (bonae-), so you get 보내고 싶어요 (bonaego sipeoyo, 'I want to send'). If you want to name the object, put it before the verb with the object marker 을/를: 이 편지를 보내고 싶어요 (i pyeonjireul bonaego sipeoyo, 'I want to send this letter'). For a slightly more plan-like tone, use -려고 해요 (-ryeogo haeyo): 우편으로 보내려고 해요 (upyeoneuro bonaeryeogo haeyo, 'I intend to send it by mail'). Both are appropriate at a post office counter.
When to use it
Use 보내고 싶어요 when you are stating a wish or goal, especially at the start of the interaction. Use 보내려고 해요 when you are explaining your plan, for example if the clerk asks how you want to send it. For polite requests to the clerk, use the -아/어 주세요 (-a/eo juseyo) pattern: 우표 한 장 주세요 (upyo han jang juseyo, 'Please give me one stamp'). If you need a specific service, name it before the request: 등기로 보내 주세요 (deunggiro bonae juseyo, 'Please send it by registered mail'). Avoid using plain imperative forms such as 보내 (bonae) to a clerk; they sound too direct in this setting.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
안녕하세요. 이 편지를 보내고 싶어요.
Hello. I'd like to send this letter.annyeonghaseyo. i pyeonjireul bonaego sipeoyo.네, 어디로 보내세요?
Sure, where are you sending it?ne, eodiro bonaeseyo?캐나다로 보내요. 요금이 얼마예요?
I'm sending it to Canada. How much is the postage?kaenadaro bonaeyo. yogeumi eolmayeyo?일반 우편은 700원이고, 등기는 3,000원이에요.
Regular mail is 700 won, and registered mail is 3,000 won.ilban upyeoneun chilbaek wonigo, deunggineun samcheon wonieyo.A little context goes a long way
Korean post office clerks usually speak in polite -요 style, and customers normally match that level. Using -습니다 style is also fine and can sound more formal, but it is not required for a simple letter transaction. If you are unsure about the price, asking 얼마예요? (eolmayeyo?) is standard and polite. In South Korea, 우편 (upyeon) refers to mail service in general, while 편지 (pyeonji) is the physical letter itself; mixing them up can confuse the clerk about what you are sending.
One thing to watch for
Using 편지를 보내고 싶어요 when you mean 'I want to send mail' in general, or saying 우표를 보내고 싶어요 for 'I want to send a stamp.'
Try this instead: Use 편지 (pyeonji) for the letter you hand over, and 우편 (upyeon) for the postal service or mail as a category. Say 이 편지를 보내고 싶어요 (i pyeonjireul bonaego sipeoyo, 'I want to send this letter'), not 우표를 보내고 싶어요. If you want to buy a stamp, say 우표 한 장 주세요 (upyo han jang juseyo, 'Please give me one stamp').
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I'd like to send this letter' in Korean?
Show a sample answer
이 편지를 보내고 싶어요.
This uses the object marker 를 after 편지 and the pattern -고 싶어요 for 'I want to.' A valid alternative is 이 편지 보내고 싶어요, where the object marker is omitted in casual speech, but the version with 를 is clearer for learners.
2What counter do you use for stamps, and how do you ask for two stamps?
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우표 두 장 주세요.
장 (jang) is the counter for flat items like stamps. 두 (du) is the native Korean number 'two' used before counters. A valid alternative is 우표 2장 주세요, using the Arabic numeral in writing, but the spoken form is 두 장.
3What is the difference between 편지 and 우편?
Show a sample answer
편지 means 'letter,' the physical item you send; 우편 means 'mail' or 'postal service' as a category.
At the post office, you send a 편지 by 우편. You can also say 우편으로 보내다 (upyeoneuro bonaeda, 'to send by mail'), which uses 우편 with the particle 으로 meaning 'by means of.'
At a Korean post office, start with 이 편지를 보내고 싶어요, then ask 요금이 얼마예요? and request stamps with 우표 한 장 주세요. Keep 편지 for the letter and 우편 for the mail service.
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