Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "出ます" vs "手紙"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
出ます
でます (demasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
手紙
てがみ (tegami)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 出ます and 手紙 are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
出ます (でます (demasu)) represents "to leave, to exit, to come out" (Level: N5) and typically represents Polite form of 出る.
On the other hand, 手紙 (てがみ (tegami)) translates to "letter" (Level: N4) and is used for A written message, typically sent through the postal service. Often used with verbs like 書く. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "出ます"
午後5時に会社を出ます。
I leave the office at 5 PM.
Bilingual Sentence for "手紙"
遠く離れた家族に手紙を書きました。
I wrote a letter to my family who lives far away.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "午後5時に会社を ＿＿＿ 。" (Meaning: "I leave the office at 5 PM.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "出ます" fits here because it represents "to leave, to exit, to come out" in the context: "I leave the office at 5 PM.".