#259 Requesting a Tracking Service at the Post Office｜French Daily Life Phrases

When you send a package overseas, you may want to check where it is during delivery.

This is especially useful when sending important documents or gifts, as a tracking service allows you to monitor the delivery status and gives you greater peace of mind.

In this article, I will explain useful French expressions for requesting a tracking service at the post office, together with important grammatical points.

Dialogue

A

Bonjour, je voudrais envoyer ce colis au Japon.
（Hello, I would like to send this package to Japan.）

B

Très bien. Souhaitez-vous un envoi avec suivi ?
（Certainly. Would you like shipping with tracking?）

A

Oui, s’il vous plaît. Est-ce que je recevrai un numéro de suivi ?
（Yes, please. Will I receive a tracking number?）

B

Oui, bien sûr. Le numéro est indiqué sur votre reçu.
（Yes, of course. The number is indicated on your receipt.）

A

Parfait, merci beaucoup.
（Perfect, thank you very much.）

1. Asking to Send a Package

First, you need to explain that you would like to send a package at the post office.

The word “voudrais” is the present conditional form of the verb “vouloir” and expresses a polite or softened desire, similar to “I would like to.”

The verb “envoyer” means “to send” and can be used in a wide range of situations, including sending letters, packages, or emails.

In this sentence, the direct object is “ce colis” (this package). The word “ce” is a demonstrative adjective used with masculine nouns.

The phrase “au Japon” means “to Japan.” Here, “au” is the contraction of “à + le.” In French, the preposition used before a country name changes depending on the grammatical gender of the country.

Generally, masculine countries take “au,” while feminine countries take “en.”

2. Using a Tracking Service

When sending a package internationally, you may be asked whether you would like to add tracking.

The verb “souhaiter” means “to wish” or “to prefer,” and “souhaitez-vous ～ ?” is a polite way to ask about someone’s preference.

The expression “un envoi avec suivi” means “shipping with tracking.”

The noun “suivi” refers to tracking or tracking service and is commonly used in postal and delivery contexts. In addition, the preposition “avec” means “with” or “including” in this sentence.

As you can see, “avec + noun” is commonly used to describe services that include something, while “sans + noun” expresses the absence of a service.

3. Confirming the Tracking Number

If you use a tracking service, you will need a tracking number to check the delivery status of your package.

The form “recevrai” is the simple future form of the verb “recevoir” (to receive).

By using the simple future tense, the speaker is asking about a future result or outcome: whether they will receive a tracking number afterward.

The postal clerk may then explain the tracking number as follows:

This sentence uses the passive structure “être + past participle,” which corresponds to “is indicated” or “is written.”

The word “indiqué” is the past participle of the verb “indiquer” (“to indicate” or “to write/show”).

The phrase “sur votre reçu” means “on your receipt.” In French, the preposition “sur” is used when information appears on the surface of something, such as paper, labels, or screens.

Summary