In this workshop, you practice a short customer-staff exchange at a shipping counter. You will ask how much shipping costs, understand a reply about weight and price, and then recall the exchange with the correct roles. The recordings give you the exact lines to use, so you can focus on speaking clearly and responding appropriately.
Asking the basic shipping cost question
Start with the simplest way to ask about shipping cost. «寄这个多少钱？» means "How much does it cost to ship this?" Use it when you are at a counter and want the price for the item in front of you. «运费多少钱？» means "How much is the shipping fee?" This is a slightly more direct way to ask about the fee itself. Both questions are useful at the beginning of a shipping conversation. Practice saying each line slowly, then at a natural speed. Keep your tone polite and your voice steady. When you ask, look at the staff member and gesture toward the item if needed. The goal is to make your question clear without adding extra words you have not practiced.
Adding a destination and understanding weight
If you need to name a destination, use «这个寄到美国多少钱？», which means "How much does it cost to ship this to the United States?" This adds the destination to the basic cost question. At the counter, the staff member may ask about weight. «按重量算吗？» means "Is it calculated by weight?" Use this to check how the price is determined. In the recorded exchange, the customer says «你好，我想寄这个到加拿大。», meaning "Hello, I'd like to ship this to Canada." The staff member replies with «好的。这个多重？», meaning "Okay. How heavy is this?" The customer answers with «大概两公斤。运费多少钱？», meaning "About two kilograms. How much is the shipping fee?" The staff member then says «按重量算，两公斤一共两百八十块。», meaning "It's calculated by weight; two kilograms is 280 yuan altogether." Notice that the reply connects weight and total price. When you practice, keep the order: greeting and request, staff question, customer answer and fee question, staff answer.
Keeping roles and order clear
In this exchange, one person is the customer and the other is the staff member. The customer begins with a greeting and a shipping request. The staff member responds with a question about weight. The customer gives the weight and asks about the fee. The staff member explains that the fee is calculated by weight and gives the total. If you swap roles, you change who reads each part, but you do not change the order of the conversation. The customer still starts, the staff member still asks about weight, the customer still answers and asks about the fee, and the staff member still gives the final answer. This helps you practice both speaking and listening. You can play both roles with the audio, and you can check your own accuracy against the recorded lines.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
寄这个多少钱？
How much does it cost to ship this?
jì zhège duōshao qián?
运费多少钱？
How much is the shipping fee?
yùnfèi duōshao qián?
这个寄到美国多少钱？
How much does it cost to ship this to the United States?
zhège jì dào Měiguó duōshao qián?
按重量算吗？
Is it calculated by weight?
àn zhòngliàng suàn ma?
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
你好，我想寄这个到加拿大。
Hello, I'd like to ship this to Canada.好的。这个多重？
Okay. How heavy is this?大概两公斤。运费多少钱？
About two kilograms. How much is the shipping fee?按重量算，两公斤一共两百八十块。
It's calculated by weight; two kilograms is 280 yuan altogether.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided shipping counter exchange
You are at a shipping counter with a package. Your partner plays the staff member. Use the recorded lines in order.
Your task: Read the customer lines and respond to the staff lines. Start with «你好，我想寄这个到加拿大。». When your partner asks about weight, answer with «大概两公斤。运费多少钱？». Then listen for the final price line «按重量算，两公斤一共两百八十块。». After that, practice asking the basic cost question with «寄这个多少钱？» and the fee question with «运费多少钱？».
Choose the right reply
Your partner says one recorded line. You choose the best recorded response from the options and say it aloud.
Your task: If your partner says «好的。这个多重？», choose between «大概两公斤。运费多少钱？» and «寄这个多少钱？». If your partner says «你好，我想寄这个到加拿大。», choose between «好的。这个多重？» and «按重量算，两公斤一共两百八十块。». If your partner says «大概两公斤。运费多少钱？», choose between «按重量算，两公斤一共两百八十块。» and «按重量算吗？». Say your chosen line, then check the answer key below.
Recall the exchange with correct roles
Cover the recorded lines. You and your partner recall the exchange from memory, keeping the customer and staff roles correct.
Your task: The customer begins with the greeting and shipping request. The staff member asks about weight. The customer gives the weight and asks about the fee. The staff member explains the calculation and gives the total. Use the recorded lines as your model. If you swap roles, change who reads each part but keep the same order.
Common questions
Can I use these lines if I am shipping to a different country?
The recordings include a line for shipping to the United States and a line for shipping to Canada. If you need a different destination, you can use the basic cost question «寄这个多少钱？» or the fee question «运费多少钱？» without naming a country. This keeps your question clear and within the practiced language.
What should I do if the staff member gives a price I do not understand?
You can ask the fee question again with «运费多少钱？» to hear the price repeated. You can also check the weight question «按重量算吗？» to confirm how the price is calculated. Stay with the recorded lines you have practiced, and ask for the information again rather than guessing.
Sources and further reading
- chinese: ask about shipping costChecked September 2026
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Take today's Chinese into a conversation with a Yapr AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr