yóutǒng: 邮筒 - Mailbox, Postbox

• Keywords: yóutǒng, 邮筒, Chinese for mailbox, what is a yóutǒng, Chinese postbox, pillar box in China, sending a letter in China, how to mail a letter in China, yóujú, jì xìn, xìnxiāng.
• Summary: Learn about the 邮筒 (yóutǒng), the official Chinese term for a public mailbox or postbox. This comprehensive guide explains what a yóutǒng is, how to use it, and its cultural significance in modern China. Discover the iconic green color of Chinese postboxes, understand the crucial difference between a 邮筒 (yóutǒng) for sending mail and a 信箱 (xìnxiāng) for receiving it, and learn all the essential vocabulary you need to send a letter or postcard in China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): yóutǒng
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: A public mailbox used for depositing outgoing mail.
• In a Nutshell: A 邮筒 (yóutǒng) is the box you see on a street corner in China where you drop letters and postcards to be sent out. Think of the big, green, free-standing metal boxes typically found outside a post office. It's specifically for *sending* mail, not for receiving it at your home.

• 邮 (yóu): This character means “post” or “mail.” It's the key component in words related to the postal system, such as 邮局 (yóujú) - post office, and 邮件 (yóujiàn) - mail/post.
• 筒 (tǒng): This character means “tube” or “cylinder.” The bamboo radical (竹) on top hints at early tubes being made from bamboo. It's used for any tube-like object, like a 笔筒 (bǐtǒng) - pen holder.
• Together, 邮筒 (yóutǒng) literally translates to “postal tube” or “mail cylinder,” a very direct and descriptive name for a public mailbox.

In China, the 邮筒 (yóutǒng) is a distinct and standardized piece of public infrastructure, almost always painted a deep, dark green. This color is the official branding for China Post (中国邮政 - Zhōngguó Yóuzhèng), making these mailboxes instantly recognizable nationwide. This is similar to the iconic red pillar boxes in the UK or the blue collection boxes in the United States. The most significant cultural and practical difference for a Western learner is the concept of “mailbox.” In American English, “mailbox” can mean both the public box for sending letters and the private box at your house for receiving them. In Chinese, this distinction is very clear:

• 邮筒 (yóutǒng): Sending only. A public box on the street.
• 信箱 (xìnxiāng): Receiving only. A private or communal box at an apartment building or home. It also means “inbox” for email.

With the rise of instant messaging (like WeChat) and e-commerce delivery services (快递 - kuàidì), the 邮筒 (yóutǒng) has become less central to daily life. For many younger Chinese people, it's an object more associated with sending postcards as a tourist or with the more formal, slower-paced communication of their parents' generation. It evokes a sense of nostalgia and deliberateness in an increasingly fast-paced world.

You will primarily use a 邮筒 (yóutǒng) for two things: sending letters (信 - xìn) and, more commonly for travelers, sending postcards (明信片 - míngxìnpiàn).

• Location: You can find them on city street corners, especially near major intersections, and almost always directly outside a 邮局 (yóujú) - post office.
• Usage: Before dropping your letter in, you must affix a 邮票 (yóupiào) - postage stamp. Many mailboxes have two separate slots: one for local/domestic mail (本市/外地 - běnshì/wàidì) and one for international mail (港澳台/国际 - Gǎng'Ào'Tái/guójì). Be sure to use the correct one!
• Collection Times: There is usually a sign on the 邮筒 (yóutǒng) indicating the pickup times (开箱时间 - kāixiāng shíjiān), so you know when your mail will be collected by the postal worker.

While private communication has moved online, 邮筒 (yóutǒng) are still actively used for official documents, utility bills, and by those who prefer traditional correspondence.

• Example 1:
  • 请问，这附近有邮筒吗？
  • Pinyin: Qǐngwèn, zhè fùjìn yǒu yóutǒng ma?
  • English: Excuse me, is there a mailbox near here?
  • Analysis: A classic and essential sentence for anyone needing to mail something. 附近 (fùjìn) means “nearby.”
• Example 2:
  • 我需要把这张明信片投进邮筒里。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ xūyào bǎ zhè zhāng míngxìnpiàn tóu jìn yóutǒng lǐ.
  • English: I need to drop this postcard into the mailbox.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses the 把 (bǎ) construction to emphasize the action of putting the postcard (明信片 - míngxìnpiàn) into the mailbox. 投进 (tóu jìn) means “to throw/drop into.”
• Example 3:
  • 中国的邮筒通常是绿色的。
  • Pinyin: Zhōngguó de yóutǒng tōngcháng shì lǜsè de.
  • English: Mailboxes in China are usually green.
  • Analysis: A simple descriptive sentence. 通常 (tōngcháng) means “usually” or “generally.”
• Example 4:
  • 别忘了，寄信前要先贴邮票。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zài lùbiān kàndào le yí ge gūlínglíng de yóutǒng.
  • English: I saw a lone mailbox on the side of the road.
  • Analysis: This sentence creates a slightly lonely or nostalgic image. 孤零零的 (gūlínglíng de) is a vivid adjective for “solitary” or “lone.”
• Example 5:
  • 这个邮筒有两个口，一个寄国内，一个寄国外。
  • Pinyin: Zhège yóutǒng yǒu liǎng ge kǒu, yí ge jì guónèi, yí ge jì guówài.
  • English: This mailbox has two slots, one for sending domestic mail, and one for sending international mail.
  • Analysis: A very practical sentence. 口 (kǒu) here means “opening” or “slot.” 国内 (guónèi) is domestic, and 国外 (guówài) is international.
• Example 6:
  • 我要去邮局买张邮票，然后把信扔进邮筒。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ yào qù yóujú mǎi zhāng yóupiào, ránhòu bǎ xìn rēng jìn yóutǒng.
  • English: I'm going to the post office to buy a stamp, and then I'll toss the letter in the mailbox.
  • Analysis: This shows the sequence of actions. 然后 (ránhòu) means “and then.” 扔 (rēng) is a more casual verb for “to throw.”
• Example 7:
  • 奶奶不会用电子邮件，所以我还常常给她写信，然后投到邮筒里。
  • Pinyin: Nǎinai bú huì yòng diànzǐ yóujiàn, suǒyǐ wǒ hái chángcháng gěi tā xiě xìn, ránhòu tóu dào yóutǒng lǐ.
  • English: My grandma doesn't know how to use email, so I still often write letters to her and drop them in the mailbox.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the cultural context of traditional mail vs. modern technology (电子邮件 - diànzǐ yóujiàn).
• Example 8:
  • 邮筒上的开箱时间是下午五点。
  • Pinyin: Yóutǒng shàng de kāixiāng shíjiān shì xiàwǔ wǔ diǎn.
  • English: The collection time on the mailbox is 5 PM.
  • Analysis: 开箱时间 (kāixiāng shíjiān) literally means “open box time,” and is the standard term for mail collection time.
• Example 9:
  • 下大雨了，希望邮筒里的信不会湿掉。
  • Pinyin: Xià dàyǔ le, xīwàng yóutǒng lǐ de xìn bú huì shī diào.
  • English: It's raining heavily, I hope the letters inside the mailbox won't get wet.
  • Analysis: A practical concern. 湿掉 (shī diào) is a resultative complement meaning “to become wet.”
• Example 10:
  • 他把分手信默默地投进了街角的那个旧邮筒。
  • Pinyin: Tā bǎ fēnshǒu xìn mòmò de tóu jìn le jiējiǎo de nàge jiù yóutǒng.
  • English: He silently dropped the breakup letter into that old mailbox on the street corner.
  • Analysis: A dramatic and narrative example. 默默地 (mòmò de) means “silently,” and 街角 (jiējiǎo) means “street corner.”

The single biggest mistake for English speakers is confusing 邮筒 (yóutǒng) with 信箱 (xìnxiāng). They are not interchangeable.

• 邮筒 (yóutǒng): PUBLIC box for SENDING mail. On the street.
• 信箱 (xìnxiāng): PRIVATE box for RECEIVING mail. At your home/apartment. Also means digital “inbox.”

Incorrect Usage:

门口的邮筒里有我今天早上收到的包裹。
(Ménkǒu de yóutǒng lǐ yǒu wǒ jīntiān zǎoshang shōudào de bāoguǒ.)
There's a package I received this morning in the public mailbox at my door.

Why it's wrong: You receive mail and packages in your private 信箱 (xìnxiāng), not the public 邮筒 (yóutǒng). You also typically don't receive packages in a standard letterbox. Correct Usage:

我从我的信箱里拿到了今天的报纸。
(Wǒ cóng wǒ de xìnxiāng lǐ nádào le jīntiān de bàozhǐ.)
I got today's newspaper from my mailbox (at my home).
我把信投进了路边的邮筒。
(Wǒ bǎ xìn tóu jìn le lùbiān de yóutǒng.)
I dropped the letter into the postbox on the roadside.

• 信箱 (xìnxiāng) - The private box for receiving mail; also an email inbox. The direct counterpart to 邮筒 for mail reception.
• 邮局 (yóujú) - Post office. The building where you can buy stamps and mail things directly.
• 寄信 (jì xìn) - To mail a letter. The verb phrase for the action of using a 邮筒.
• 邮票 (yóupiào) - Postage stamp. A necessary item to use a 邮筒.
• 明信片 (míngxìnpiàn) - Postcard. One of the most common items put into a 邮筒 by travelers.
• 邮件 (yóujiàn) - Mail, post. The general term for the items you send or receive.
• 包裹 (bāoguǒ) - Parcel, package. These are typically handled at a 邮局 or by a courier, not placed in a 邮筒.
• 快递 (kuàidì) - Express delivery, courier. The modern, fast alternative for sending packages and documents, which has largely replaced the postal system for urgent items.