====== shōujiànrén: 收件人 - Recipient, Addressee ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** shoujianren, 收件人, recipient in Chinese, addressee in Chinese, how to say recipient in Mandarin, Chinese for recipient, email recipient Chinese, package recipient, sender and recipient in Chinese, mail recipient, Chinese address format.
  * **Summary:** Learn the essential Chinese word **收件人 (shōujiànrén)**, which means "recipient" or "addressee". This term is crucial for everyday tasks like sending emails, mailing packages, and online shopping in the Chinese-speaking world. This guide will break down the characters, explain its practical use on platforms like Taobao, and show you how to correctly format a Chinese address for the **收件人** to avoid common mistakes.
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** shōu jiàn rén
  * **Part of Speech:** Noun
  * **HSK Level:** N/A
  * **Concise Definition:** The person who receives a letter, email, package, or other delivered item.
  * **In a Nutshell:** **收件人 (shōujiànrén)** is a straightforward and functional word. Think of it as the name you write on the "To:" line of an email or the "Deliver To:" section of a shipping label. It's a combination of "receive," "item," and "person," literally meaning "the person who receives the item." There's no deep metaphorical meaning; it's a practical term for a practical purpose.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **收 (shōu):** To receive, to accept, or to collect. Imagine a hand reaching out to **collect** something owed or sent to you.
  * **件 (jiàn):** A measure word for items, documents, letters, or luggage. It refers to a single, distinct **item** or piece of correspondence.
  * **人 (rén):** Person. This character is a simple pictogram of a person walking.
When you put them together, **收 (receive) + 件 (item) + 人 (person)** creates the unambiguous meaning: "the receive-item person."
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
While **收件人** itself is a functional term, its use highlights a key cultural difference in how information is structured: the "Big to Small" principle.
In Western cultures, an address is typically written from the most specific detail to the most general:
''John Smith (Recipient) -> 123 Main Street -> Anytown, CA -> 91234 -> USA''
In China, the opposite is true. The address starts with the largest geographical unit and drills down to the most specific, with the **收件人** coming last. This reflects a broader cultural tendency to see the collective or context before the individual.
A typical Chinese address format:
''中国 (Country) -> 广东省 (Province) -> 深圳市 (City) -> 南山区 (District) -> 科技路1号 (Street & Number) -> **张伟 (收件人 - Recipient's Name)**''
Understanding this is crucial for anyone sending mail or packages in China. The **收件人** is the final point of a funnel that starts with the entire country.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
You will encounter **收件人** constantly in modern digital and logistical life.
  * **Email (电子邮件 diànzǐ yóujiàn):** The "To:" field in any Chinese-language email client is labeled **收件人**. Related fields are **抄送 (chāosòng)** for "Cc" and **密送 (mìsòng)** for "Bcc."
  * **Online Shopping (网购 wǎnggòu):** When you check out on Taobao, JD.com, or Pinduoduo, you must fill in the **收件人**'s details. This will always include **收件人姓名 (shōujiànrén xìngmíng)** - Recipient's Name, and **收件人电话 (shōujiànrén diànhuà)** - Recipient's Phone Number, which is essential for the delivery driver to contact them.
  * **Couriers and Post (快递 kuàidì / 邮局 yóujú):** When sending a document or package via a courier like SF Express (顺丰) or the China Post (中国邮政), the waybill (快递单) will have a clearly marked section for **收件人** information.
The term is neutral in tone and standard in formality, used everywhere from casual emails to official legal documents.
===== Example Sentences =====
  * **Example 1:**
    * 请问，这封信的**收件人**是谁？
    * Pinyin: Qǐngwèn, zhè fēng xìn de **shōujiànrén** shì shéi?
    * English: Excuse me, who is the recipient of this letter?
    * Analysis: A basic and polite question you might ask at a reception desk or post office.
  * **Example 2:**
    * 请把**收件人**的地址写清楚。
    * Pinyin: Qǐng bǎ **shōujiànrén** de dìzhǐ xiě qīngchǔ.
    * English: Please write the recipient's address clearly.
    * Analysis: This sentence uses the 把 (bǎ) construction to emphasize the action's effect on the object (the recipient's address).
  * **Example 3:**
    * 我需要**收件人**的电话号码才能寄快递。
    * Pinyin: Wǒ xūyào **shōujiànrén** de diànhuà hàomǎ cáinéng jì kuàidì.
    * English: I need the recipient's phone number in order to send the package.
    * Analysis: This highlights a critical piece of information for modern deliveries in China.
  * **Example 4:**
    * 你忘了在邮件里添加**收件人**了。
    * Pinyin: Nǐ wàng le zài yóujiàn lǐ tiānjiā **shōujiànrén** le.
    * English: You forgot to add a recipient in the email.
    * Analysis: A common situation when using email. The final 了 (le) indicates the completion of the action (or in this case, the realization that it wasn't done).
  * **Example 5:**
    * **收件人**一栏请填写您的真实姓名。
    * Pinyin: **Shōujiànrén** yī lán qǐng tiánxiě nín de zhēnshí xìngmíng.
    * English: In the recipient column, please fill in your real name.
    * Analysis: This is formal language you would see on a form. 一栏 (yī lán) means "the column/field," and 填写 (tiánxiě) means "to fill in (a form)."
  * **Example 6:**
    * 快递员正在确认**收件人**的身份。
    * Pinyin: Kuàidìyuán zhèngzài quèrèn **shōujiànrén** de shēnfèn.
    * English: The delivery person is confirming the recipient's identity.
    * Analysis: 正在 (zhèngzài) indicates an action in progress. This is common for high-value deliveries.
  * **Example 7:**
    * 如果**收件人**不在家，包裹会怎么办？
    * Pinyin: Rúguǒ **shōujiànrén** bù zài jiā, bāoguǒ huì zěnme bàn?
    * English: If the recipient isn't home, what will happen to the package?
    * Analysis: A practical question about logistics. 会怎么办 (huì zěnme bàn) is a common way to ask "what will be done?" or "what will happen?"
  * **Example 8:**
    * 系统显示**收件人**已签收。
    * Pinyin: Xìtǒng xiǎnshì **shōujiànrén** yǐ qiānshōu.
    * English: The system shows that the recipient has already signed for it.
    * Analysis: This is language you'd see on a tracking website. 已 (yǐ) is a formal way to say "already," and 签收 (qiānshōu) means "to sign for receipt."
  * **Example 9:**
    * 这封邮件有多个**收件人**，包括整个部门。
    * Pinyin: Zhè fēng yóujiàn yǒu duō ge **shōujiànrén**, bāokuò zhěnggè bùmén.
    * English: This email has multiple recipients, including the entire department.
    * Analysis: Shows how the term can be used with numbers or qualifiers like 多个 (duō ge - many/multiple).
  * **Example 10:**
    * 我是发件人，不是**收件人**。
    * Pinyin: Wǒ shì fājiànrén, bù shì **shōujiànrén**.
    * English: I am the sender, not the recipient.
    * Analysis: A simple sentence directly contrasting the term with its antonym, 发件人 (fājiànrén).
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  * **Mistake 1: Confusing Sender and Recipient.**
    * This is the most common pitfall. The recipient is **收件人 (shōujiànrén)**. The sender is **发件人 (fājiànrén)** (used more for emails) or **寄件人 (jìjiànrén)** (used more for physical mail).
    * **Incorrect:** 我是收件人，我要寄这个包裹。(Wǒ shì shōujiànrén, wǒ yào jì zhège bāoguǒ.) -> "I am the recipient, I want to send this package." (This is contradictory).
    * **Correct:** 我是**寄件人**，我要寄这个包裹。(Wǒ shì **jìjiànrén**, wǒ yào jì zhège bāoguǒ.) -> "I am the **sender**, I want to send this package."
  * **Mistake 2: Using a "False Friend" like 接收人 (jiēshōurén).**
    * While `接收 (jiēshōu)` also means "to receive," the standard, universally understood term for mail and packages is **收件人**. The term `接收人 (jiēshōurén)` is much less common and sounds more formal or technical, like the "receiver" of assets in a legal transfer or the "recipient" of a data transmission. For everyday mail, stick to **收件人**.
  * **Mistake 3: Getting the Address Order Wrong.**
    * As mentioned in the cultural section, always write the address from **Big to Small** before writing the **收件人**'s name. Putting the recipient's name first, as in English, is a common mistake that can confuse postal workers and delay your delivery.
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * `[[发件人]] (fājiànrén)` - Sender (of an email). The direct antonym.
  * `[[寄件人]] (jìjiànrén)` - Sender (of physical mail/package). Also an antonym, more specific to physical items.
  * `[[收货人]] (shōuhuòrén)` - Consignee, recipient of goods. Very similar to 收件人, but specifically emphasizes commercial goods (货 huò) rather than general items or letters (件 jiàn). Often used in business and freight.
  * `[[地址]] (dìzhǐ)` - Address. The location information for the 收件人.
  * `[[包裹]] (bāoguǒ)` - Package, parcel. The object that the 收件人 receives.
  * `[[快递]] (kuàidì)` - Express delivery service, courier. The company that brings the item to the 收件人.
  * `[[电子邮件]] (diànzǐ yóujiàn)` - Email. A primary context where the term 收件人 is used digitally.
  * `[[抄送]] (chāosòng)` - Cc (Carbon Copy). A secondary type of recipient in an email.
  * `[[签名]] (qiānmíng)` - Signature. What the 收件人 often provides upon receipt to confirm delivery.
  * `[[运单号]] (yùndānhào)` - Tracking Number. The number used to track the package's journey to the 收件人.