Explore 便 in words for convenience and mail. Learn the reading together with each complete word.

The idea

便利（べんり） is a na-adjective: use 便利な before a noun and 便利です at the end of a polite sentence. 不便（ふべん） means inconvenient; 郵便（ゆうびん） refers to mail.

Patterns to compare
WordReadingExample in context
便利べんりThis station is very convenient.
不便ふべんThis place is inconvenient without a car.
郵便ゆうびんThe mail will arrive this afternoon.

Examples

  • この駅えきはとても便利べんりです。This station is very convenient.
  • 駅えきの近ちかくに便利べんりな店みせがあります。There is a convenient shop near the station.
  • 車くるまがないとここは不便ふべんです。This place is inconvenient without a car.
  • 郵便ゆうびんが今日きょうの午後ごごに届とどきます。The mail will arrive this afternoon.
  • 手紙てがみを郵便局ゆうびんきょくで出だしました。I mailed a letter at the post office.
  • このアプリは旅行りょこうに便利べんりです。This app is useful for travel.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

便 is read べん in 便利 but びん in 郵便. Do not assume one reading fits every compound; 便利な店 needs な before the noun.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 便利 in hiragana.

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    べんり

    便利 is read べんり; the word describes something convenient.

  2. Write the reading of 郵便 in hiragana.

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    ゆうびん

    郵便 is read ゆうびん; it means mail, not convenience.

  3. Fill in the missing word: 便利＿店.

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    な

    な connects the na-adjective 便利 to the noun 店: 便利な店 means a convenient shop.

Use it today

Read the table aloud, then describe a convenient place using 便利な and a place using 不便です.