Shipping & logistics in Chinese 物流
wùliú
Logistics in Chinese is 物流 (wù liú).
Also searched for as: shipping, freight, logistics, sea freight, container shipping, freight forwarder.
Getting your goods from the factory to your door. 15 essential shipping & logistics words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Logistics in Chinese is 物流 (wù liú), and when you're importing from China it usually comes down to a choice between 海运 (hǎi yùn), sea freight, and 空运 (kōng yùn), air freight. You'll also work closely with a 货代 (huò dài), a freight forwarder, who handles bookings, paperwork and the eternal question of who pays for what. These words come up in every shipping email.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 物流 | wù liú | logistics |
| 海运 | hǎi yùn | sea freight |
| 空运 | kōng yùn | air freight |
| 快递 | kuài dì | express delivery; courier |
| 货代 | huò dài | freight forwarder |
| 集装箱 | jí zhuāng xiāng | shipping container |
| 整柜 | zhěng guì | full container load (FCL) |
| 拼柜 | pīn guì | less than container load (LCL) |
| 发货 | fā huò | to ship; to dispatch goods |
| 船期 | chuán qī | sailing schedule |
| 提单 | tí dān | bill of lading |
| 运费 | yùn fèi | freight charge; shipping cost |
| 港口 | gǎng kǒu | port |
| 到港 | dào gǎng | to arrive at port |
| 包装 | bāo zhuāng | packaging; to pack |
Usage tips
- In everyday trade talk, containers are 柜 (guì) rather than 集装箱 (jí zhuāng xiāng): 整柜 (zhěng guì) is a full container load and 拼柜 (pīn guì) a shared one.
- 发货 (fā huò) is when the seller dispatches the goods, while 到港 (dào gǎng) is when they reach port, so 什么时候发货 and 什么时候到港 will get you two very different dates.
- Factories and shipping slow down around Chinese New Year, so plan 包装 (bāo zhuāng), packing, and 船期 (chuán qī), sailing dates, well ahead of the holiday.
Common mistakes
- Using 快递 (kuài dì) for all shipping: it means courier services for parcels and samples, while bulk goods go by 海运 or 空运 through a 货代 (huò dài).
- Translating 'ship the goods' with 船 (chuán), boat; 'to ship' is 发货 (fā huò) whatever the transport, and 'shipping cost' is 运费 (yùn fèi).
Mini dialogue
- A货什么时候能发？Huò shén me shí hou néng fā?When can the goods ship?
- B下周三可以发货。这次是整柜还是拼柜？Xià zhōu sān kě yǐ fā huò. Zhè cì shì zhěng guì hái shì pīn guì?We can ship next Wednesday. Is it a full container or LCL this time?
- A货不多，拼柜就行。我们的货代会联系你们。Huò bù duō, pīn guì jiù xíng. Wǒ men de huò dài huì lián xì nǐ men.There isn't much, so LCL will do. Our freight forwarder will get in touch.
- B好的，提单出来以后我马上发给您。Hǎo de, tí dān chū lái yǐ hòu wǒ mǎ shàng fā gěi nín.Great, I'll send you the bill of lading as soon as it's issued.
- A谢谢。包装一定要结实，海运时间很长。Xiè xie. Bāo zhuāng yī dìng yào jiē shi, hǎi yùn shí jiān hěn cháng.Thanks. Make sure the packaging is sturdy, it's a long journey by sea.
Example sentences
- 物流费用越来越贵了。Logistics costs keep going up.
- 海运便宜，但是慢。Sea freight is cheap, but slow.
- 样品走空运吧。Let's send the samples by air.
- 样品用快递寄给我就行。Just courier the samples to me.
- 我们的货代会联系你们。Our freight forwarder will contact you.
- 这批货刚好装一个集装箱。This shipment fills exactly one container.
- 这次是整柜还是拼柜？Is it a full container or a shared one this time?
- 货不多，拼柜就行。There isn't much, so LCL will do.
- 你们什么时候能发货？When can you ship?
- 这周的船期赶不上了。We won't make this week's sailing.
- 提单已经发给您了。The bill of lading has been sent to you.
- 运费是我们出还是你们出？Do we pay the freight or do you?
- 货已经运到港口了。The goods have reached the port.
- 货预计下个月十号到港。The goods should arrive at port on the 10th of next month.
- 出口的包装一定要结实。Export packaging has to be sturdy.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Shipping & logistics speaking island has 8 everyday questions about shipping & logistics to prepare your own answers to.