Asking How Long Delivery Takes in Mandarin Chinese
Learn to ask how long a delivery will take in Mandarin, understand express versus standard shipping, and use 多久 and 多长时间 naturally with real delivery examples.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you order something in a Chinese-speaking environment, the first practical question is usually how long it will take to arrive. In Mandarin, this is not expressed with a single fixed phrase; you choose between 多久 (duō jiǔ) and 多长时间 (duō cháng shíjiān), then place the verb phrase correctly. This lesson teaches the exact patterns for asking about delivery time, distinguishing 快递 (kuàidì, courier delivery) from 外卖 (wàimài, food delivery), and understanding 加急 (jiājí, express/rush) options. You will practice full questions and answers, not isolated words, so you can handle a real conversation at a shop counter, on a phone call, or in a chat with a seller.
By the end, you can…
- ask how long a delivery will take using 多久 and 多长时间.
- understand and respond to questions about express versus standard delivery time.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
快递多久能到？
How long will the courier delivery take to arrive?
kuàidì duō jiǔ néng dào
The most common everyday question for parcels and online orders. 快递 means courier delivery, not food delivery.
多长时间能送到？
How long will it take to be delivered?
duō cháng shíjiān néng sòng dào
Slightly more formal and precise than 多久; 送到 means delivered to the destination.
有加急的吗？
Do you have an express/rush option?
yǒu jiājí de ma
Use 加急 for paid faster handling. The 的 here stands for 加急的选项, the express option.
大概三天左右。
About three days or so.
dàgài sān tiān zuǒyòu
大概 and 左右 both soften the estimate, which is normal because delivery times are not exact.
今天下午能到吗？
Can it arrive this afternoon?
jīntiān xiàwǔ néng dào ma
A yes/no time question. Use 能到 for arrival of a parcel; for a person arriving, 能到 also works.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is 多久 / 多长时间 + 能 + verb + 到. For example, 快递多久能到？ and 外卖多长时间能送到？ Both ask about duration. 多久 is more colloquial and common in speech; 多长时间 is a little more explicit and works well in writing or polite service situations. Do not translate English 'how long' word by word as 多长, because 多长 usually asks about physical length, as in 多长的一条绳子 (how long a rope is). For time, use 多久 or 多长时间.
When to use it
Use 快递多久能到？ when tracking a parcel or asking an online seller. Use 外卖多长时间能送到？ when ordering food, because 外卖 is food delivery. If you want a faster option, ask 有加急的吗？ or 可以加急吗？ The answer often includes 大概 (about), 左右 (around), or 最快 (at the fastest), for example 最快明天到 (it can arrive tomorrow at the earliest). If you need it by a specific time, ask 今天下午能到吗？ rather than only asking the duration.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
你好，这个快递多久能到？
Hello, how long will this courier delivery take to arrive?nǐ hǎo, zhège kuàidì duō jiǔ néng dào普通快递大概三天左右，加急的话明天就能到。
Standard delivery takes about three days; if you use express, it can arrive tomorrow.pǔtōng kuàidì dàgài sān tiān zuǒyòu, jiājí de huà míngtiān jiù néng dào加急要加多少钱？
How much extra does express cost?jiājí yào jiā duōshao qián加二十块。你要加急吗？
Twenty yuan extra. Do you want express?jiā èrshí kuài. nǐ yào jiājí maA little context goes a long way
In service situations, 多久 and 多长时间 are both polite, but adding 请问 (qǐngwèn, may I ask) makes the question more formal: 请问快递多久能到？ Sellers often give a range rather than a promise, so 大概 and 左右 are normal, not evasive. When asking about 外卖, remember it refers to food delivery and is different from 快递, which is for parcels.
One thing to watch for
Saying 多长能到？ to mean 'How long until it arrives?'
Try this instead: Use 多久 or 多长时间 for duration: 快递多久能到？ 多长 normally asks about physical length, for example 这条绳子多长？ (How long is this rope?). If you say 多长能到, listeners may misunderstand or find it unnatural.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask a seller how long a parcel delivery will take?
Show a sample answer
快递多久能到？
This uses 快递 for courier delivery, 多久 for duration, and 能到 for arrival. 快递多长时间能到？ is also correct and slightly more formal.
2Translate: 'Do you have an express option?'
Show a sample answer
有加急的吗？
加急 means express or rush handling. 有……的吗 asks whether such an option exists. 可以加急吗？ is another valid way to ask.
3A seller says 大概两天左右. What does this mean, and is the time exact?
Show a sample answer
It means 'about two days or so.' It is an estimate, not an exact promise.
大概 means approximately and 左右 means around. Together they show the time is approximate, which is common for delivery estimates.
Ask delivery time with 多久 or 多长时间 plus 能到 or 能送到, and use 加急 for express options.
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