请 meaning and stroke order
To ask; to invite; please (do sth)
How to write 请, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 请
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to ask
- to invite
- please (do sth)
- to treat (to a meal etc)
- to request
How 请 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Speech.
讠 gives the meaning and 青 hints at the sound.
Radical: 讠 (words), shared by 144 characters on this site.
How to remember 请
请 combines the speech radical 讠 with 青 (qīng), which gives the sound. Picture yourself using polite speech 讠 to ask or invite someone, and let 青 remind you it is pronounced qǐng.
请 is used to say please before a verb, to invite someone, and to treat someone to a meal. You hear it constantly in set phrases like 请问 (qǐngwèn) and 请进 (qǐng jìn). Example: 今天我请你吃饭。(Jīntiān wǒ qǐng nǐ chīfàn.) Today I'm treating you to dinner.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 请 (qǐng) with 清 (qīng, clear) and 情 (qíng, feeling), which share 青 but have different radicals and tones. Remember that 请 has the speech radical 讠 and a third tone.
Common words with 请
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 请问 | qǐngwèn | Excuse me, may I ask...? | HSK 1 |
| 请假 | qǐngjià | to request leave of absence | HSK 1 |
| 请进 | qǐng jìn | "please come in" | HSK 1 |
| 请坐 | qǐng zuò | please, have a seat | HSK 1 |
| 请求 | qǐngqiú | to request; to ask; request (CL:個|个[ge4]) | HSK 2 |
| 请客 | qǐngkè | to give a dinner party; to entertain guests | HSK 2 |
| 请教 | qǐngjiào | to ask for guidance; to consult | HSK 3 |
| 申请 | shēnqǐng | to apply for sth; application form (CL:份[fen4]) | HSK 4 |
| 邀请 | yāoqǐng | to invite; invitation | HSK 5 |
| 聘请 | pìnqǐng | to engage; to hire (a lawyer etc) | HSK 6 |
| 请柬 | qǐngjiǎn | invitation card; written invitation | HSK 7-9 |
| 敬请 | jìngqǐng | please (do sth) (deferential form) | HSK 7-9 |
| 请帖 | qǐngtiě | invitation card; written invitation | HSK 7-9 |
| 请便 | qǐngbiàn | Please do as you wish!; You are welcome to do whatever you like! |
请 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 请
How many strokes are in 请?
请 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 请 mean?
请 (qǐng) means to ask; to invite; please (do sth). A common word with it is 请问 (qǐngwèn), meaning "Excuse me, may I ask...?".
How do you pronounce 请?
请 is pronounced qǐng, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 请?
The radical of 请 is 讠, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 请 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 请?
The traditional form of 请 is 請. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 请 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 请 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 请 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
How do I say 'please' in Chinese without sounding too formal?
Put 请 directly before the verb, as in 请坐 (qǐng zuò), please sit. Among friends Chinese speakers often skip 请 and soften the request with 吧 (ba) instead, as in 坐吧 (zuò ba).
Does 请客 mean I am paying?
Yes. 我请客 (wǒ qǐngkè) means 'it's my treat,' so the speaker pays. Saying 我请你 (wǒ qǐng nǐ) before an activity also signals that you will cover the cost.