# How to translate a Chinese postal address?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-translate-a-chinese-postal-address/302374>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 4, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-translate-a-chinese-postal-address/302374 "2005-05-04T14:47:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-translate-a-chinese-postal-address/302374/1 "2005-05-04T14:47:17Z")

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Ok, I have a (overseas) postal address written in Chinese. But I need to enter it into a form in English. What’s the easiest way to translate it and be sure it will work and my package will arrive at the right place?

I know the mail system does work in that country regardless of whether the address is in Chinese or in English.

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**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-translate-a-chinese-postal-address/302374/2 "2005-05-05T02:56:34Z")

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A Chinese address is the opposite of a US address. It will look like this:

Country, Province, City  
Street address  
Person

If you scan it and put it somewhere we can see it, we can probably translate it for you. I don’t know if any of the free translation sites will handle province and city names.

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**Author:** ![charizard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charizard/32/4166_2.png) [@charizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/charizard)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-translate-a-chinese-postal-address/302374/3 "2005-05-05T15:01:00Z")

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You might also just try running a photocopy of it and using that as a mailing label. It’s worked for me a few times.

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**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-translate-a-chinese-postal-address/302374/4 "2005-05-05T15:06:01Z")

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If you can scan it and post it somewhere, there’s a few folks here you can help you put it into English. I can certainly give it a shot, but I need to see the Chinese.

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**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-translate-a-chinese-postal-address/302374/5 "2005-05-05T20:14:10Z")

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> [@NoCoolUserName](#):
>
> A Chinese address is the opposite of a US address. It will look like this:
> 
> Country, Province, City  
> Street address  
> Person

I’ve also seen it written (for sending from the US to China) as:

Province, City, Village  
Street Address  
Person  
Country

…though usually “Country” is spelled out as “CHINA” to make things easier for US postal carriers.

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**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-translate-a-chinese-postal-address/302374/6 "2005-05-06T00:51:06Z")

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the easiest way is pasting a photocopy, then writing in english “china” or “people’s republic of china”

second way is to write the address in pinyin if you have the romanization.

third is get someone to translate the characters into pinyin