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How to Say ‘But the email said twenty copies.’ in Japanese

でも、メールには二十部とありました。

de mo meeru ni wa nijuu bu to ari mashi ta

[deh moh meh-roo ni wah ni-juu boo toh ah-ree mah-shee ta]

💬 Usage Tip: とありました means "it said" for written text, literally "it was there as". Use it for emails, signs or documents, and use と言いました for what someone said out loud.

Phrase Breakdown

でも、メールには

de mo meeru ni wa

but in the email

でも means 'but'. メールには means 'in the email'.

Example

でも、メールには書いてありました。

But it was written in the email.

Words in this phrase

で

[deh]

but (part of demo)

First part of でも, a conjunction meaning 'but; however' at the start of a sentence.

Example

でも、時間がありません。

But there is no time.

も

[moh]

but (part of demo)

Second part of でも; together they mean 'but; however'.

Example

でも、大丈夫です。

But it's okay.

メール

meeru

[meh-roo]

The loanword for email. Common in business follow-up communication.

Example

あとでメールしてください。

Please email me later.

に

[ni]

Particle indicating location or direction.

Example

学校に行きます。

I am going to school.

は

[wah]

topic marker; as for

A particle that marks the topic. Written は but pronounced わ.

Example

今日は体のサイズを確認します。

As for today, I will check the body size.

二十部とありました。

nijuu bu to ari mashi ta

it said twenty copies

二十部 (nijuubu) means 'twenty copies'. とありました means 'it was written as'.

Example

紙には五時とありました。

The paper said five o'clock.

Words in this phrase

二十

nijuu

[ni-juu]

twenty

Twenty is the number after nineteen, represented as 二十 in Japanese.

Example

私は二十冊の本を持っています。

I have twenty books.

部

[boo]

copies (counter)

Counter for copies of printed documents.

Example

資料は十部あります。

There are ten copies of the materials.

と

[toh]

(quotation marker)

Marks quoted content; with あります it means 'it was written that...'.

Example

メモに「三時」とありました。

The memo said "three o'clock."

あり

ari

[ah-ree]

exist; there is

Shows that something exists or is going to occur.

Example

案内があります。ここで待ちます。

There will be an announcement. I will wait here.

まし

mashi

[mah-shee]

polite past stem

Part of the polite past ending in a verb phrase.

Example

昨日は多くのことを学びました。

I learned many things yesterday.

た

[ta]

past tense ending

This marks the action as completed in the past.

Example

スタッフが来ました。

The staff member came.

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