邮编

• Pinyin: yóu biān
• Hanzi breakdown: 邮 = 阝+ 垂 simplified (area + phonetic — postal relay, mail); 编 = 纟+ 扁 (thread + flat — to braid, arrange in sequence, compile)

Meaning

Postal code; postcode; the numerical code assigned to a geographical area to facilitate mail sorting and delivery.

Short for 邮政编码. China uses a six-digit postal code system introduced in 1980. Essential in formal address writing. Appears on envelopes, forms, and official documents. In common usage, 邮编 is the standard abbreviated form; the full form 邮政编码 is used in official contexts. Analogous to ZIP codes (US) and postcodes (UK).

Examples

1. 国际快递因收件地址少填了邮编，无法自动分拣，只好退回重寄。 The international express package was returned for resending because the recipient address was missing the postal code, so it could not be sorted automatically.
2. 填企业注册地址时，申请人必须写对六位邮编，否则系统会核验不通过并退件。 When filling in a company registration address, the applicant must enter the correct six-digit postal code, or the system will fail verification and reject the submission.
3. 如今，邮编已不只用于纸质信件分拣，在电商物流中也发挥着重要作用。 Today, postal codes are no longer used only for sorting paper letters; they also play an important role in e-commerce logistics.

Usage Guide

Context: logistics, administration, mail, e-commerce

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 填收货地址时，系统通常要求先输入有效的邮编，再自动补全省市区并计算运费和时效。(When filling in the shipping address, the system usually asks first for a valid postal code, then automatically fills in the province, city, and district and calculates the shipping cost and delivery time.)
• 中国邮政2020年启动邮编体系升级，目标是提高偏远地区地址解析和末端配送匹配准确率。(China Post launched an upgrade of its postal code system in 2020, aiming to improve address parsing in remote areas and the matching accuracy of last-mile delivery.)

Don't Say

• 我不知道我的邮编是什么，所以我无法收信 — not knowing one's postal code does not prevent receiving mail; 邮编 is required when sending or registering addresses, but is not needed by the recipient; rephrase as 寄信时需要填写邮编

Origin & History

邮 (mail/post — 阝mound/area + 垂 phonetic; originally a postal relay station, later mail) + 编 (code/compile — 纟thread + 扁 flat; to braid, arrange in sequence, hence a compiled code)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal