必备表达
In the order you are likely to need them. Play each one, repeat it, and read the note underneath — knowing when to say a sentence matters as much as saying it correctly.
你好，我想寄一个包裹到摩洛哥。你好，我想寄一個包裹到摩洛哥。
Nǐ (third tone, dipping) hǎo, (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) jì (fourth tone, falling) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) bāoguǒ (first tone, high and level) dào (fourth tone, falling) Móluògē. (second tone, rising)
Hello, I would like to send a parcel to Morocco.
什么时候用
Your opening line at the counter. 寄 (jì) is the verb for sending by post; naming the destination country straight away decides which forms and which price list the clerk reaches for.
请问，寄到国外大概要多长时间？請問，寄到國外大概要多長時間？
Qǐngwèn, (third tone, dipping) jì (fourth tone, falling) dào (fourth tone, falling) guówài (second tone, rising) dàgài (fourth tone, falling) yào (fourth tone, falling) duō (first tone, high and level) cháng (second tone, rising) shíjiān? (second tone, rising)
Excuse me, roughly how long does it take to send something abroad?
什么时候用
Ask before you choose a service. 大概 (dàgài) makes it clear you want an estimate rather than a promise, which is what the clerk can actually give you.
请问，空运和海运差多少钱？請問，空運和海運差多少錢？
Qǐngwèn, (third tone, dipping) kōngyùn (first tone, high and level) hé (second tone, rising) hǎiyùn (third tone, dipping) chà (fourth tone, falling) duōshao (first tone, high and level) qián? (second tone, rising)
Excuse me, what is the price difference between air and sea freight?
什么时候用
For anything heavy going home at the end of a stay. 空运 (kōngyùn) is fast and expensive, 海运 (hǎiyùn) slow and cheap; 差 (chà) is the verb for the gap between two figures.
里面是衣服和书，没有液体。裡面是衣服和書，沒有液體。
Lǐmiàn (third tone, dipping) shì (fourth tone, falling) yīfu (first tone, high and level) hé (second tone, rising) shū, (first tone, high and level) méiyǒu (second tone, rising) yètǐ. (fourth tone, falling)
Inside there are clothes and books, no liquids.
什么时候用
You will be asked what is in the box before it is sealed. Volunteering the contents — and confirming there are no liquids, powders or batteries — saves the whole conversation that follows.
需要填报关单吗？需要填報關單嗎？
Xūyào (first tone, high and level) tián (second tone, rising) bàoguāndān (fourth tone, falling) ma? (neutral tone)
Do I need to fill in a customs declaration?
什么时候用
报关单 (bàoguāndān) is the customs form for an international parcel. It asks for each item, its quantity and its value in Chinese, so ask the clerk to help you word the lines.
麻烦帮我称一下，看看多重。麻煩幫我稱一下，看看多重。
Máfan (second tone, rising) bāng (first tone, high and level) wǒ (third tone, dipping) chēng (first tone, high and level) yíxià, (second tone, rising) kànkan (fourth tone, falling) duō (first tone, high and level) zhòng. (fourth tone, falling)
Could you weigh it for me, please, so we can see how heavy it is.
什么时候用
Price is decided by weight and by destination, so this is the question that turns a guess into a number. 称 (chēng) is to weigh; 多重 (duō zhòng) is how heavy.
我要买一个纸箱和胶带。我要買一個紙箱和膠帶。
Wǒ (third tone, dipping) yào (fourth tone, falling) mǎi (third tone, dipping) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) zhǐxiāng (third tone, dipping) hé (second tone, rising) jiāodài. (first tone, high and level)
I would like to buy a cardboard box and some tape.
什么时候用
Post offices sell boxes in several sizes and tape at the counter, so you do not need to arrive with packaging. Do not seal the box before the contents have been checked.
我要寄快递，明天能到吗？我要寄快遞，明天能到嗎？
Wǒ (third tone, dipping) yào (fourth tone, falling) jì (fourth tone, falling) kuàidì, (fourth tone, falling) míngtiān (second tone, rising) néng (second tone, rising) dào (fourth tone, falling) ma? (neutral tone)
I want to send it by express courier — can it arrive tomorrow?
什么时候用
For a domestic parcel in a hurry. 快递 (kuàidì) is the private courier network rather than the post, and between large cities next-day delivery is ordinary rather than exceptional.
请问，我的快递到了吗？单号是这个。請問，我的快遞到了嗎？單號是這個。
Qǐngwèn, (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) kuàidì (fourth tone, falling) dào (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) ma? (neutral tone) Dānhào (first tone, high and level) shì (fourth tone, falling) zhège. (fourth tone, falling)
Excuse me, has my parcel arrived? Here is the tracking number.
什么时候用
At the pickup station counter, with your phone screen turned towards the assistant. 单号 (dānhào) is the tracking number, and showing it is faster than reading it aloud.
请问，取件码是多少？請問，取件碼是多少？
Qǐngwèn, (third tone, dipping) qǔjiànmǎ (third tone, dipping) shì (fourth tone, falling) duōshao? (first tone, high and level)
Excuse me, what is the pickup code?
什么时候用
The code arrives by text message or in the courier app and opens the locker or identifies your parcel at the station. Without it you will be sent away to look for the message.
麻烦放在驿站就行，不用送到宿舍。麻煩放在驛站就行，不用送到宿舍。
Máfan (second tone, rising) fàng (fourth tone, falling) zài (fourth tone, falling) yìzhàn (fourth tone, falling) jiù (fourth tone, falling) xíng, (second tone, rising) búyòng (second tone, rising) sòng (fourth tone, falling) dào (fourth tone, falling) sùshè. (fourth tone, falling)
Please just leave it at the pickup station — there is no need to bring it to the dormitory.
什么时候用
Say this on the phone when the courier calls. 驿站 (yìzhàn) is the campus or neighbourhood pickup station, and it is the normal answer, since couriers are often not allowed past the gate.
我的包裹破损了，可以申请赔偿吗？我的包裹破損了，可以申請賠償嗎？
Wǒ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) bāoguǒ (first tone, high and level) pòsǔn (fourth tone, falling) le, (neutral tone) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) shēnqǐng (first tone, high and level) péicháng (second tone, rising) ma? (neutral tone)
My parcel is damaged — can I claim compensation?
什么时候用
Photograph the box before you open it, and say this at the station rather than to the courier. 破损 (pòsǔn) is damage in transit; 赔偿 (péicháng) is compensation.
这个快递不是我的，可以退回去吗？這個快遞不是我的，可以退回去嗎？
Zhège (fourth tone, falling) kuàidì (fourth tone, falling) bú (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) de, (neutral tone) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) tuì (fourth tone, falling) huíqù (second tone, rising) ma? (neutral tone)
This parcel is not mine — can it be sent back?
什么时候用
Happens more often than you would think, because names are transliterated inconsistently. Say it at the counter and do not open the box; 退回去 (tuì huíqù) is to send it back to the sender.
文化提示
Two systems sit side by side. (China Post) runs the post offices and is what you use for international mail and for anything official; the private (kuàidì) companies — , , , , and others — carry almost everything domestic and are fast, cheap and everywhere. Addresses are written from the largest unit to the smallest: province, city, district, street, building, room, and finally the name — with a mobile number, which is not optional, because the courier will phone rather than search. Sending anything requires identification: bring your passport, expect the parcel to be opened and inspected before it is sealed, and do not tape the box shut in advance. Liquids, powders, batteries and many foods are restricted for international post; ask at the counter rather than guessing. On the receiving side, parcels are almost never handed to you at your door. They go to a — a neighbourhood or on-campus pickup station, often a small shop stacked to the ceiling — or into a bank of lockers, and you collect them with a sent by text message. The station is the busiest place on a campus in the early evening; take the shelf number from the message and find it yourself rather than queueing to ask. Fees are usually (paid by the sender), but (paid on delivery) exists and the courier will ask for it, so check before you accept a parcel you were not expecting.
These notes describe common practice, not rules. Requirements and procedures differ between cities, institutions and years — confirm anything procedural with the office, clinic or company itself.
词汇
No word list has been attached to this scenario yet. Every phrase above is searchable word by word in the dictionary, and tapping a word inside the tutor role-play adds it to your review queue.
词典 →离线短语卡
Everything else on this page is hidden when you print. What comes out is the card below: Chinese, pinyin and your language, in the order you need them — one page that works with no signal.
HSK Guide · 离线短语卡
The Post Office and Your Parcels
独立平台，与 HSK 官方机构无隶属关系。
你好，我想寄一个包裹到摩洛哥。你好，我想寄一個包裹到摩洛哥。
Nǐ hǎo, wǒ xiǎng jì yí ge bāoguǒ dào Móluògē.
Hello, I would like to send a parcel to Morocco.
请问，寄到国外大概要多长时间？請問，寄到國外大概要多長時間？
Qǐngwèn, jì dào guówài dàgài yào duō cháng shíjiān?
Excuse me, roughly how long does it take to send something abroad?
请问，空运和海运差多少钱？請問，空運和海運差多少錢？
Qǐngwèn, kōngyùn hé hǎiyùn chà duōshao qián?
Excuse me, what is the price difference between air and sea freight?
里面是衣服和书，没有液体。裡面是衣服和書，沒有液體。
Lǐmiàn shì yīfu hé shū, méiyǒu yètǐ.
Inside there are clothes and books, no liquids.
需要填报关单吗？需要填報關單嗎？
Xūyào tián bàoguāndān ma?
Do I need to fill in a customs declaration?
麻烦帮我称一下，看看多重。麻煩幫我稱一下，看看多重。
Máfan bāng wǒ chēng yíxià, kànkan duō zhòng.
Could you weigh it for me, please, so we can see how heavy it is.
我要买一个纸箱和胶带。我要買一個紙箱和膠帶。
Wǒ yào mǎi yí ge zhǐxiāng hé jiāodài.
I would like to buy a cardboard box and some tape.
我要寄快递，明天能到吗？我要寄快遞，明天能到嗎？
Wǒ yào jì kuàidì, míngtiān néng dào ma?
I want to send it by express courier — can it arrive tomorrow?
请问，我的快递到了吗？单号是这个。請問，我的快遞到了嗎？單號是這個。
Qǐngwèn, wǒ de kuàidì dào le ma? Dānhào shì zhège.
Excuse me, has my parcel arrived? Here is the tracking number.
请问，取件码是多少？請問，取件碼是多少？
Qǐngwèn, qǔjiànmǎ shì duōshao?
Excuse me, what is the pickup code?
麻烦放在驿站就行，不用送到宿舍。麻煩放在驛站就行，不用送到宿舍。
Máfan fàng zài yìzhàn jiù xíng, búyòng sòng dào sùshè.
Please just leave it at the pickup station — there is no need to bring it to the dormitory.
我的包裹破损了，可以申请赔偿吗？我的包裹破損了，可以申請賠償嗎？
Wǒ de bāoguǒ pòsǔn le, kěyǐ shēnqǐng péicháng ma?
My parcel is damaged — can I claim compensation?
这个快递不是我的，可以退回去吗？這個快遞不是我的，可以退回去嗎？
Zhège kuàidì bú shì wǒ de, kěyǐ tuì huíqù ma?
This parcel is not mine — can it be sent back?