A delivery driver calls: you need to give entrance, building, floor, and locker details in Mandarin. This branching script covers what to say, what you'll hear, and how to handle a missed call.
When a delivery driver calls, you need to give four things fast: entrance, building number, floor, and whether you'll meet them or use a locker. The core phrases are wǒ zài... (I'm at...), jǐ hào lóu? (which building?), and fàng kuàidì guì (put it in the locker). This script gives you the exact lines, what you'll hear back, and how to recover from a missed call.
Current-reference check: We verified the practical framework against A Guide to Working and Living in China as Business Expatriates (2025 Edition). Local procedures can change, so confirm time-sensitive details with the service you use. We used it to check the everyday service context; the call scripts reflect the short exchanges learners actually need to manage.
Before the phone rings: set your default location
Most delivery calls start with the driver already at your compound gate. They'll ask where you are. If you can't yet give directions, save a text note with your address in Chinese and read it aloud. Your compound name, building number, unit, and floor are the essentials. For example: Wǒ zài Lìjǐng Huāyuán, 3 hào lóu, 2 dānyuán, 1502. · I'm at Lijing Garden, Building 3, Unit 2, 1502. Practice this until it's automatic. The driver may not speak English, and the call will be short.
If you live in a serviced apartment or hotel, the front desk can receive packages. Say: Fàng zài qiántái. · Leave it at the front desk. This is common in business expat housing, but not all compounds allow it. Check with your building manager first.
The branching call: gate, building, floor, locker
Here's a typical call. The driver speaks first, usually fast. You'll hear: Nǐ hǎo, kuàidì, nǐ zài nǎr? · Hello, delivery, where are you? Your reply depends on where you are. Use this branching script:
If you're at the gate: Wǒ zài dàménkǒu. · I'm at the main gate. Then add a landmark: Zài chāoshì pángbiān. · Next to the convenience store.
If you're in your building: Wǒ zài 3 hào lóu, 2 dānyuán. · I'm at Building 3, Unit 2. The driver may ask: Jǐ lóu? · Which floor? Answer: 15 lóu, 1502. · 15th floor, 1502.
If you want the locker: Fàng kuàidì guì, xièxie. · Put it in the delivery locker, thanks. The driver will ask for a code or say it's full. If full: Guì mǎn le, fàng ménkǒu ba. · The locker is full, leave it at the door.
If you're not home: Wǒ bù zài jiā, fàng ménkǒu ba. · I'm not home, leave it at the door. This works in many buildings, but not all. In some compounds, drivers can't enter, so they'll leave it at the gate or a nearby shop.
What the driver will ask (and how to answer)
Drivers repeat a few questions. Learn to recognize them even if you can't produce a perfect answer. Nǐ zài nǎr? · Where are you? Jǐ hào lóu? · Which building? Jǐ dānyuán? · Which unit? Jǐ lóu? · Which floor? Yǒu rén zài jiā ma? · Is anyone home? Fàng kuàidì guì háishì sòng shànglái? · Put it in the locker or bring it up?
If you don't understand, say: Tīng bù dǒng, qǐng fā duǎnxìn. · I don't understand, please send a text. This is your safety net. Most drivers will text the details, which you can translate. Another useful line: Qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn. · Please speak a little slower. It may not help much, but it signals you're trying.
Elevators, access cards, and the last 100 meters
In many residential towers, the elevator requires a card. The driver may call again from the lobby: Wǒ jìn bù lái, nǐ xiàlái ná ba. · I can't get in, come down and get it. If you can't go down, ask them to leave it with security: Fàng zài bǎowèishì. · Leave it at the security office. This is common in larger compounds. If your building has a mailroom, say: Fàng zài kuàidì shì. · Leave it in the delivery room.
Some drivers will ask you to come to the elevator lobby. Nǐ dào diàntī kǒu ná. · Come to the elevator entrance to get it. This is a quick handoff. If you're on a high floor and the driver can't come up, you may need to go down. It's a small inconvenience, but it's the norm in many buildings.
Missed call? Here's your recovery script
If you miss the call, don't panic. Check for a text or app notification. The driver may have left a message with a locker code or a meeting spot. Call back and say: Nǐ hǎo, wǒ shì [your name], gāngcái méi jiē dào diànhuà. · Hello, I'm [your name], I missed your call just now. Then give your location: Wǒ zài 3 hào lóu, 2 dānyuán, 1502. If they already left, ask: Kuàidì fàng zài nǎr le? · Where did you leave the delivery? They might say: Fàng zài kuàidì guì le, mǎ shì 1234. · I left it in the delivery locker, code 1234. Or: Fàng zài bǎowèishì le. · I left it at the security office.
If the driver doesn't answer, send a text with your address and ask them to leave it at the locker or door. Use simple Chinese: Qǐng fàng kuàidì guì, xièxie. · Please put it in the delivery locker, thanks. Most drivers will respond with a confirmation.
Ten lines to keep on your phone
Save these in a note. They cover 90% of delivery calls.
- Wǒ zài dàménkǒu. · I'm at the main gate.
- Wǒ zài 3 hào lóu, 2 dānyuán. · I'm at Building 3, Unit 2.
- 15 lóu, 1502. · 15th floor, 1502.
- Fàng kuàidì guì, xièxie. · Put it in the delivery locker, thanks.
- Fàng ménkǒu ba. · Leave it at the door.
- Wǒ bù zài jiā. · I'm not home.
- Tīng bù dǒng, qǐng fā duǎnxìn. · I don't understand, please send a text.
- Qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn. · Please speak a little slower.
- Fàng zài bǎowèishì. · Leave it at the security office.
- Kuàidì fàng zài nǎr le? · Where did you leave the delivery?
These are not textbook sentences. They're what you'll actually say. Practice them aloud until you can say them without reading. The HSK 3.0 descriptors for elementary levels emphasize handling simple, routine tasks, and this is exactly that: a routine task with a time limit. You can check the official descriptors for a sense of what's expected at your level.
Your next three delivery calls: a practice plan
Don't try to master everything at once. Use your next three delivery calls as practice reps. Call 1: Before the driver arrives, write your address in Chinese and read it aloud twice. When the call comes, answer with Wǒ zài... and give your building and unit. If you freeze, say Tīng bù dǒng, qǐng fā duǎnxìn. Call 2: This time, add the floor and ask for the locker: Fàng kuàidì guì, xièxie. If the locker is full, say Fàng ménkǒu ba. Call 3: Let the driver speak first. Try to catch one question—Jǐ lóu? or Nǐ zài nǎr?—and answer without reading. If you miss it, use your recovery script. After each call, note one phrase that worked and one that didn't. By the fourth call, you'll have your own script.