In this workshop you will practise a short visit to a Chinese post office. You will learn how to say you want to send a letter, ask where it is going, ask the postage, and understand a reply about regular and registered mail. You will also practise buying a stamp. The practice moves from a guided exchange to understanding a reply, and finally to recalling the conversation with the roles swapped.
Starting the exchange and asking about postage
At the counter, you can begin by saying «我想寄这封信。», which means 'I'd like to send this letter.' A polite opening with a greeting is «你好，我想寄这封信。», meaning 'Hello, I'd like to send this letter.' The staff member may ask where it is going with «好的，寄到哪儿？», which means 'Okay, where to?' You can answer with a destination and then ask the price. For example, «寄到美国多少钱？» means 'How much does it cost to send to the USA?' A shorter way to ask the price is «邮费是多少？», meaning 'What is the postage?' These lines let you start the conversation and find out the cost.
Understanding the reply and buying a stamp
The staff member may answer with «平信是六块钱，挂号信是十五块。», which means 'Regular mail is 6 yuan, registered mail is 15 yuan.' This tells you two options and their prices. If you only need a stamp, you can say «我要买一张邮票。», meaning 'I want to buy one stamp.' You can also combine your request with the postage question, as in «寄到美国。邮费是多少？», which means 'To the USA. What's the postage?' This line shows how to give the destination and ask the price in one turn. Listen for the numbers and the words for regular and registered mail so you can choose.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
我想寄这封信。
I'd like to send this letter.
Wǒ xiǎng jì zhè fēng xìn.
寄到美国多少钱？
How much does it cost to send to the USA?
Jì dào Měiguó duōshao qián?
邮费是多少？
What is the postage?
Yóufèi shì duōshao?
我要买一张邮票。
I want to buy one stamp.
Wǒ yào mǎi yì zhāng yóupiào.
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
你好，我想寄这封信。
Hello, I'd like to send this letter.好的，寄到哪儿？
Okay, where to?寄到美国。邮费是多少？
To the USA. What's the postage?平信是六块钱，挂号信是十五块。
Regular mail is 6 yuan, registered mail is 15 yuan.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided counter exchange
You are at a post office counter. You have a letter to send to the USA. The staff member is ready to help.
Your task: Read the staff member's line «好的，寄到哪儿？» aloud. Then respond with a line that gives the destination and asks the postage. Use «寄到美国。邮费是多少？» as your model. After that, read the staff member's reply «平信是六块钱，挂号信是十五块。» aloud. Finally, say that you want to buy one stamp using «我要买一张邮票。».
Choose the correct reply
You have just said «我想寄这封信。» and the staff member asks «好的，寄到哪儿？». You want to know the postage to the USA.
Your task: Which line is the best reply? Option A: «寄到美国。邮费是多少？». Option B: «我要买一张邮票。». Option C: «我想寄这封信。». Say your choice aloud, then read the correct line.
Recall and swap roles
You have practised the conversation. Now you will recall the lines without looking at the Chinese text. If you have a partner, one of you will be the customer and the other the staff member.
Your task: With a partner, act out the recorded conversation from memory. The customer starts with a greeting and says they want to send a letter. The staff member asks where to. The customer gives the destination and asks the postage. The staff member gives the two prices. Then the customer adds the separate stamp request. After you finish, swap roles and repeat.
Common questions
Do I need to memorise every line before speaking?
No. Start by reading the lines aloud while looking at them. Then cover the text and try to recall. It is fine to peek if you get stuck. The goal is to become comfortable with the flow of the conversation, not to perform perfectly.
What if I do not know the Chinese word for my country?
You can still practise the conversation by using the destination from the recordings. If you want to talk about your own country, learn its Chinese name separately and then use it in the same sentence pattern. The recordings give you the structure; you can replace the destination once you know the word.
Sources and further reading
- chinese: send a letterChecked September 2026
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