Sending a Package at a Chinese Post Office: 我想把这个包裹寄到...
Learn to say you want to send a package to a place, ask about shipping options, and understand speed, tracking, and cost at a Chinese post office counter.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
At a Chinese post office (邮局, yóujú), the key sentence for mailing a package is 我想把这个包裹寄到 + place. This lesson teaches that pattern, the measure word 个 for 包裹, and the verb 寄 for sending by post. You will also learn how to ask whether a service is express or ordinary, whether tracking is included, and how much it costs. The focus is the counter conversation for packages, not letters or buying stamps. You will practice polite but natural requests using 我想 and 请问, and you will hear how a clerk typically replies.
By the end, you can…
- say I want to send a package to a specific place using 我想把这个包裹寄到...
- ask whether a service is express or ordinary and whether tracking is included
- ask how much it costs and how many days it takes to arrive
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
我想把这个包裹寄到北京。
I'd like to send this package to Beijing.
wǒ xiǎng bǎ zhè ge bāoguǒ jì dào Běijīng。
The core pattern. 把 (bǎ) moves 这个包裹 before the verb 寄; use it when you are handling a specific package.
请问，寄包裹怎么寄？
Excuse me, how do I send a package?
qǐngwèn, jì bāoguǒ zěnme jì？
A polite opener at the counter. 请问 softens the question; repeat 寄 because the first is a verb and the second asks about procedure.
寄快递还是寄普通包裹？
Are you sending it express or as an ordinary package?
jì kuàidì háishì jì pǔtōng bāoguǒ？
A clerk's question. 快递 (kuàidì) means express courier service; 普通包裹 is slower and cheaper.
快递几天能到？
How many days does express take to arrive?
kuàidì jǐ tiān néng dào？
Use 几天 to ask about duration. 能到 means 'can arrive'; the answer often starts with 大概 (dàgài, about).
有单号可以查吗？
Is there a tracking number I can check?
yǒu dānhào kěyǐ chá ma？
单号 (dānhào) is the tracking number. 可以查 means 'can check'; this is useful when comparing services.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern 我想把 + object + 寄到 + place is the practical way to state your mailing goal. 把 (bǎ) marks the thing you are handling, and the verb phrase 寄到 (jì dào, send to) follows it. For example, 我想把这个包裹寄到上海 (wǒ xiǎng bǎ zhè ge bāoguǒ jì dào Shànghǎi) means 'I'd like to send this package to Shanghai.' If you are sending several items, say 这些包裹 (zhèxiē bāoguǒ, these packages). To ask about a service, use 寄快递还是寄普通包裹 (express or ordinary?), and to ask cost, say 多少钱 (duōshao qián). Notice that Chinese does not add a plural ending to 包裹; 这些 or a number plus measure word shows quantity.
When to use it
Use 我想... when you state your own request at the counter; it is polite and direct without being stiff. Use 请问 before a question when you stop a clerk or start an interaction: 请问，寄到广州多少钱？(Excuse me, how much to send to Guangzhou?) If the clerk asks 寄快递还是寄普通包裹, answer with the full choice: 寄快递 (express) or 寄普通包裹 (ordinary). Ask 几天能到？ for speed and 有单号吗？ for tracking. When you want to confirm the destination, say 寄到北京，对吗？(Send to Beijing, right?). These phrases keep the exchange focused on the package, not on stamps or letters.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
您好，我想把这个包裹寄到北京。
Hello, I'd like to send this package to Beijing.nín hǎo, wǒ xiǎng bǎ zhè ge bāoguǒ jì dào Běijīng。好的。寄快递还是寄普通包裹？
Okay. Are you sending it express or as an ordinary package?hǎo de. jì kuàidì háishì jì pǔtōng bāoguǒ？寄快递。请问几天能到？有单号可以查吗？
Express. How many days does it take? Is there a tracking number I can check?jì kuàidì. qǐngwèn jǐ tiān néng dào？yǒu dānhào kěyǐ chá ma？大概两三天到，有单号。一共二十八块。
About two or three days, and yes, there is a tracking number. Twenty-eight yuan in total.dàgài liǎng sān tiān dào, yǒu dānhào. yígòng èrshíbā kuài。A little context goes a long way
At Chinese post offices and courier counters, staff usually ask a short choice question rather than explain every option. Answering 寄快递 or 寄普通包裹 is enough to move forward. Prices and delivery times vary by destination and by whether you use 中国邮政 (China Post) or a private courier, so treat quoted days as estimates. Keep your request brief and answer the clerk's questions directly; this is normal and not rude.
One thing to watch for
Saying 我想寄这个包裹到北京 without 把, or adding a plural ending to 包裹.
Try this instead: Use 把 when you handle a specific object: 我想把这个包裹寄到北京。Chinese nouns do not take plural endings, so do not say 包裹s or add 们 to 包裹; use 这些包裹 for 'these packages' if needed.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I'd like to send this package to Shanghai'?
Show a sample answer
我想把这个包裹寄到上海。
This uses 我想 + 把 + 这个包裹 + 寄到 + place. You could also say 我要把这个包裹寄到上海, which is slightly more direct but still acceptable.
2The clerk asks 寄快递还是寄普通包裹？ You want the faster service. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
寄快递。
寄快递 selects the express service. If you wanted the cheaper option, you would say 寄普通包裹. Both are complete answers in this context.
3Ask how many days it takes and whether there is a tracking number.
Show a sample answer
几天能到？有单号可以查吗？
几天能到 asks about time, and 有单号可以查吗 asks about tracking. You could also ask 有单号吗？, which is shorter but still clear.
For package mailing in Chinese, remember 我想把这个包裹寄到 + place, then answer the clerk's choice question with 寄快递 or 寄普通包裹. Ask 几天能到？ and 有单号可以查吗？ to compare speed and tracking.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Chinese into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr