Today's words · 📮 Post & parcels
Post office German: 10 words for letters and parcels
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Found a little card in your letterbox instead of your parcel? These are the words you need.
You're waiting for an online order. You pop out for ten minutes, and when you come back there's a card in your letterbox. Where's your parcel? Do you have to go to the post office? The German on the card makes no sense yet.
Today's ten words cover everything from sending a letter to collecting a parcel. With them you can post a package home, read the delivery card and use a parcel locker on your own. 📦
📋 The ten words at a glance
🧠 Words, examples and memory tricks
die Post
[POST]post office; post, mail((no pl.))
📌 Ich gehe zur Post.
→ I'm going to the post office.
💡 Just like English post 📮 The post office and the mail are both die Post.
Bonus Hast du Post für mich? = Is there any post for me?
der Brief
[BREEF]letter(Pl. die Briefe)
📌 Ich habe einen Brief vom Finanzamt bekommen.
→ I've received a letter from the tax office.
💡 Letters used to be short ✉️ It comes from Latin breve, a short document.
⚠ False friend: Brief = letter, not ‘brief’ (short).
die Briefmarke
[BREEF-mar-kuh](postage) stamp(Pl. die Briefmarken)
📌 Wie viele Briefmarken brauche ich für diesen Brief?
→ How many stamps do I need for this letter?
💡 Brief (letter) + Marke (token) = the token you stick on a letter 🏷️
Bonus Postage is das Porto.
das Paket
[pa-KATE]parcel, package(Pl. die Pakete)
📌 Ich möchte dieses Paket nach Korea schicken.
→ I'd like to send this parcel to Korea.
💡 Looks like English packet 📦 Stress the end: pa-KATE.
Bonus A small parcel is das Päckchen — -chen means das.
schicken
[SHICK-en]to send(schickt – hat geschickt)
📌 Kannst du mir die Adresse schicken?
→ Can you send me the address?
💡 Whoosh, off it goes 💨 Schick mir die Adresse! = Send me the address!
Bonus Perfect tense: Ich habe das Paket geschickt.
die Adresse
[a-DRESS-uh]address(Pl. die Adressen)
📌 Wie ist Ihre Adresse?
→ What's your address?
💡 English address, minus one d, plus an e on the end 🏠
⚠ Spelling: one d, double s — Adresse.
der Empfänger
[emp-FENG-er]recipient, addressee(Pl. die Empfänger)
📌 Der Empfänger war leider nicht zu Hause.
→ Unfortunately the recipient wasn't at home.
💡 empfangen (to receive) + -er = the receiver 🙋 Hotel reception is der Empfang.
Bonus The opposite: the sender = der Absender
die Lieferung
[LEE-fer-oong]delivery(Pl. die Lieferungen)
📌 Die Lieferung kommt morgen.
→ The delivery is coming tomorrow.
💡 liefern (to deliver) + -ung = delivery 🚚 Words ending in -ung are always die.
Bonus Wann wird das geliefert? = When will it be delivered?
abholen
[AP-hoh-len]to collect, pick up (sth. or sb.)(holt ab – hat abgeholt)
📌 Ich muss noch ein Paket bei der Post abholen.
→ I still have to pick up a parcel from the post office.
💡 ab (off) + holen (fetch) = go and get it 🏃♀️ Works for people too: Ich hole dich ab.
⚠ Separable verb: Ich hole das Paket ab.
die Packstation
[PACK-shta-tsyohn]parcel locker (automated)(Pl. die Packstationen)
📌 Ich lasse mir Pakete an die Packstation schicken.
→ I have my parcels sent to a parcel locker.
💡 A station where parcels wait for you 🔐 Pack + Station, easy.
Bonus The number that opens the locker is der Code.
🇩🇪 A spoonful of German culture
If you're not home, German couriers often leave your parcel with a neighbour (Nachbar) and put a card in your letterbox saying who has it. Taking in parcels for the people next door is completely normal.
If no neighbour can take it, the parcel usually goes to a nearby post office branch or a parcel locker. Take the card and your ID with you when you go to abholen it.
One more thing: if your name isn't on your letterbox (Briefkasten) and doorbell, your post may not arrive at all. After moving in, put your name up first. 🏷️
✅ Quick quiz
Q. You missed a delivery and the card says your parcel is at the post office. What are you going to do?
- ① Ich schicke das Paket.
- ② Ich hole das Paket ab.
- ③ Ich klebe eine Briefmarke.
Show the answer
② Ich hole das Paket ab.
abholen = to collect, so you go and pick your parcel up.
Say ‘Ich möchte dieses Paket nach Korea schicken.’ out loud three times — then try it with your own country. 📮
🔜 Tomorrow's topic: 📱 Phone & internet contract