快递

• Pinyin: kuài dì
• Hanzi breakdown: 快 = 忄(heart radical) + 夬 (phonetic component); 递 = 辶 (movement radical) + 弟 (phonetic component)

Meaning

Express delivery; courier. Refers to parcel delivery services that deliver packages quickly.

快递 is one of the most commonly used words in modern Chinese daily life, driven by the enormous growth of online shopping in China. It is used both as a noun (the parcel or service) and informally as a verb meaning to send something by courier. Platforms like 顺丰, 圆通, and 菜鸟驿站 are ubiquitous.

Examples

1. 我在网上买的东西已经发货了，明天快递就能到。 The things I bought online have been dispatched — the courier should arrive tomorrow.
2. 你去楼下取一下快递吧，放在门口好几天了。 Could you go downstairs and pick up the parcel? It's been sitting at the door for several days.
3. 这家公司的快递服务速度很快，当天就能送到。 This company's delivery service is very fast — they can deliver on the same day.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, shopping, modern life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我寄了一个快递给你，大概三天后到。(I sent you a parcel by courier — it should arrive in about three days.)
• 快递小哥每天都要送好几百个包裹。(Courier workers deliver hundreds of parcels every day.)

Don't Say

• 请用快递寄这封信 (For ordinary letters, use 寄信 or 邮寄 rather than 快递 — 快递 refers specifically to package/parcel courier services, not the postal system)

Origin & History

快 means fast or quick; 递 means to pass on or to deliver. Together they describe a service that delivers parcels swiftly. The term became widespread with the rise of e-commerce in the 2000s.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal