封筒（ふうとう、fuutoう）
- envelope

The Japanese word 封筒 (ふうとう) means "envelope" in English. It refers to a paper container used for sending letters, documents, or other flat items through the mail. Envelopes are typically sealed to maintain the privacy of the contents.

⚫︎手紙を封筒に入れました。 Translation: I put the letter in an envelope. ⚫︎この封筒の宛名が間違っています。 Translation: The address on this envelope is incorrect. ⚫︎新しい封筒を買う必要があります。 Translation: I need to buy new envelopes.

You use 封筒 when talking about envelopes in general. It's a common and essential word for any communication involving postal mail. It can be used in various contexts, such as: ⚫︎ Describing the act of putting something in an envelope. ⚫︎ Referring to the envelope itself. ⚫︎ Mentioning the characteristics or status of an envelope (e.g., size, color, address, sealed, etc.).

封筒 is most commonly written in kanji. The hiragana reading is ふうとう. There are no significant variations in its writing or okurigana. The word usually written in kanji 封筒, but rarely in hiragana ふうとう.

There are no direct synonyms for the word 封筒 in the same sense.

There are no direct antonyms for the word 封筒.

手紙を封筒に入れて、切手を貼ってポストに投函しました。 ・Translation: I put the letter in the envelope, put a stamp on it, and dropped it in the mailbox. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the typical process of sending a letter via mail, including the use of an envelope.

この封筒はちょっと小さいから、この書類は入りません。 ・Translation: This envelope is a bit small, so these documents won't fit. ・Explanation: This sentence explains that there is a problem with the envelope. The envelope is too small to contain the document.

The word 封筒 is a compound word. 封 (fū) means "to seal" or "to close", and 筒 (tō) means "a tube" or "a container". Combined, they describe a container designed to be sealed, which perfectly reflects the function of an envelope.