#29 Trying on Clothes in a Boutique｜French Shopping Phrases
Izumi Curious French
#180 Asking Someone to Receive a Package While You Are Away｜French Daily Life Phrases
Izumi
When you are away from home due to work or other commitments, the delivery time may not match your schedule, and you may be unable to receive a package in person. In such cases, it is often necessary to ask a family member or a housemate to receive the package on your behalf.
When making this kind of request in French, it is important to explain the situation politely and to phrase the request in a way that does not impose too much on the other person.
In this article, I will introduce useful French expressions for asking someone to receive a package while you are away, together with key grammatical points.
Contents
Dialogue
Excuse-moi, je voulais te demander un service.
（Excuse me, I wanted to ask you a favor.）
Oui, dis-moi.
（Sure, what is it?）
J’attends un colis demain après-midi, mais je ne serai pas à la maison à ce moment-là.
（I am expecting a package tomorrow afternoon, but I will not be at home at that time.）
D’accord. Tu veux que je le reçoive à ta place ?
（I see. Do you want me to receive it on your behalf?）
Oui, si ça ne te dérange pas. Le livreur devrait passer vers 15 heures.
（Yes, if you do not mind. The delivery person should arrive around 3 p.m.）
Pas de problème. Je serai là à cette heure-là.
（No problem. I will be home at that time.）
Merci beaucoup, ça m’aide vraiment.
（Thank you very much. That really helps.）
1. Opening the Conversation Politely
When asking someone to receive a package in your absence, I recommend starting the conversation with a polite introduction.
Example
- Je voulais te demander un service.
（I wanted to ask you a favor.）
This expression is commonly used with family members or close friends. The phrase “un service” implies a small favor and is appropriate for casual but polite requests.
Related Expression
- J’aurais une faveur à te demander.
（I have a favor to ask you.）
This version is more formal and can be used with older people or with someone you are not very close to.
2. Explaining the Reason for the Request
When making a request, it is important to explain the background and the reason for it.
Example
- J’attends un colis demain après-midi, mais je ne serai pas à la maison à ce moment-là.
（I am expecting a package tomorrow afternoon, but I will not be at home at that time.）
This sentence conveys two pieces of information in the following order:
Points
- J’attends un colis demain après-midi.
→ I am expecting a package tomorrow afternoon. - mais je ne serai pas à la maison à ce moment-là.
→ But I will not be at home at that time.
In French, the present tense can be used to refer to a planned future event. In “J’attends un colis demain après-midi,”the future meaning is expressed through the time adverbial phrase “demain après-midi.”
On the other hand, the simple future tense is used to describe a state or fact at a specific future point in time. In “je ne serai pas à la maison à ce moment-là,” the future form “serai” is used because the speaker is referring to their state at that particular future moment.
3. Asking Someone to Receive the Package on Your Behalf
After explaining the situation, the main request is to ask the other person to receive the package for you.
Example
- Est-ce que tu pourrais recevoir le colis à ma place ?
（Could you receive the package on my behalf?）
In some cases, as in the conversation example, the other person may offer to help first.
Example
- Tu veux que je le reçoive à ta place ?
（Do you want me to receive it for you?）
The key expression here is “à ma place,” which means “on my behalf” or “instead of me.”
In French, this structure is formed as: “à + possessive adjective + place”
Related Expressions
- à ma place
（on my behalf） - à ta place
（on your behalf） - à sa place
（on his/her behalf）
The noun “place” literally means “place” or “position,” and the expression conveys the idea of acting in someone else’s role or position.
4. Giving Information About the Delivery Time
To make it easier for the other person to respond, it is important to provide details about the delivery time.
Example
- Le livreur devrait passer vers 15 heures.
（The delivery person should arrive around 3 p.m.）
The form “devrait passer” expresses expectation or probability and is well suited to situations like deliveries, where the exact time may vary.
If you want to give a broader time range, you can say:
Related Expression
- Entre 14h et 16h environ.
（Approximately between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.）
Summary
Key French Phrases
- Je voulais te demander un service.
→ A polite way to introduce a request. - Je ne serai pas à la maison / J’attends un colis.
→ Used to explain your absence and the delivery situation. - Recevoir le colis à ma place.
→ Expression meaning “to receive a package on someone’s behalf.” - Le livreur devrait passer vers ～.
→ Used to indicate an approximate delivery time.
