Why the order flips
Chinese addresses go from the largest area to the smallest. English addresses go the other way, so the converter reverses the parts:
- Province 省
- City 市
- District 区
- Road 路
- No. 号
- Building 栋
- Room 室
- Room
- Building
- No. + Road
- District
- City
- Province
- China
Proper names stay in pinyin, written as one word with a capital letter: 南山 becomes Nanshan, 西安 becomes Xi'an. Only the generic words are translated.
Common address words
| Chinese | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 省 | Province (usually left out) | 广东省 → Guangdong |
| 市 | City (usually left out) | 深圳市 → Shenzhen |
| 区 / 县 | District / County | 南山区 → Nanshan District |
| 街道 / 镇 | Subdistrict / Town | 张江镇 → Zhangjiang Town |
| 路 / 街 / 大道 | Road / Street / Avenue | 中山北路 → Zhongshan North Road |
| 弄 | Lane (Shanghai) | 1200弄 → Lane 1200 |
| 号 | No. | 15号 → No. 15 |
| 栋 / 座 / 号楼 | Building | B栋 → Building B |
| 单元 | Unit | 3单元 → Unit 3 |
| 层 / 楼 | Floor | 12楼 → Floor 12 |
| 室 | Room | 1203室 → Room 1203 |
Questions
Should a Chinese address be translated or written in pinyin?
Place names such as roads, districts and cities are written in pinyin, because that is what Chinese couriers and street signs use. Only the generic parts are translated: 路 becomes Road, 区 becomes District, 室 becomes Room.
Does the parcel need the Chinese address too?
For international shipments, give the carrier the English address and add the original Chinese address as a second line or on the label. Once the parcel reaches China, local couriers deliver from the Chinese version.
Where do I find the postal code?
If your address includes a six-digit postal code, the converter keeps it. Otherwise ask the recipient or look it up on the China Post website. The postal code alone is not enough for delivery, so always include the full address.
A name came out wrong. What should I do?
Some buildings and landmarks have their own English names, and a few characters have more than one reading. Check the result and edit any proper name before you send it. Everything else in the address will still be in the right order.
Does it work for Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan?
Not yet. These regions have their own official English street names. For Taiwan, Chunghwa Post has an official address translation tool.