#241 Using a Postal Service for Souvenirs｜French Travel Phrases

When you purchase souvenirs during a trip, you may find it difficult to carry everything home as your luggage increases.

In such situations, you can conveniently send your items by using a postal or shipping service at a store or service counter.

In this article, I will explain useful French expressions for sending souvenirs while traveling, together with key grammatical points.

Dialogue

A

Bonjour, j’aimerais envoyer ces articles au Japon.
（Hello, I would like to send these items to Japan.）

B

Bien sûr. Vous souhaitez un envoi standard ou express ?
（Of course. Would you like standard or express shipping?）

A

Quelle est la différence entre les deux ?
（What is the difference between the two?）

B

L’envoi express est plus rapide, mais aussi plus cher.
（Express shipping is faster, but also more expensive.）

A

Je vois. Dans ce cas, je vais prendre l’envoi standard, s’il vous plaît.
（I see. In that case, I will take the standard shipping, please.）

B

C’est entendu.
（Certainly.）

1. Requesting a Shipping Service

When you want to use a postal service, you can make a request as follows:

Here, “j’aimerais” is the present conditional form of the verb “aimer.” The conditional mood softens the statement and makes it more polite, giving the nuance of “I would like to…” rather than a direct statement.

The structure “j’aimerais + infinitive” allows you to express a specific action you wish to perform. In this case, the verb “envoyer” (to send) is used.

The phrase “ces articles” means “these items.” The word “ces” is a demonstrative adjective used with plural nouns, referring to things that are close to the speaker or currently being discussed.

2. Confirming the Type of Shipping Service

There are several types of shipping services, and in the example, the staff member asks about your preference.

The verb “souhaiter” means “to wish” or “to prefer” and sounds more polite than “vouloir” (to want). It is often used in customer service situations to ask about a customer’s preference in a courteous way.

In the phrase “un envoi standard ou express,” both “standard” and “express” function as adjectives placed after the noun “envoi” (shipment), describing the type of delivery.

The conjunction “ou” (or) presents a choice between two options.

3. Asking About the Details of the Service

When choosing a shipping method, it is important that you clearly understand the differences in delivery time and cost.

The word “quelle” is an interrogative adjective meaning “which” or “what kind of,” and it is used here with the noun “différence.”

The verb “est” is the third-person singular form of “être,” forming the structure “What is the difference?”

The phrase “entre les deux” means “between the two,” with “entre” functioning as a preposition indicating comparison.

In response, the staff member says:

This sentence demonstrates the use of comparative forms in French:

Here, “plus rapide” (faster) and “plus cher” (more expensive) are used to compare characteristics of express shipping.

The expression “mais aussi” means “but also,” and it adds a contrasting feature. In this case, it highlights both the advantage (speed) and the disadvantage (cost).

Summary