Meaning of 请
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to ask
- to invite
- please (do sth)
- to treat (to a meal etc)
- to request
How to use 请
请 starts polite requests, like "please" in English, and it also means to invite or to treat someone to a meal. 今天我请你吃饭。(Jīntiān wǒ qǐng nǐ chīfàn.) Today I'm treating you to a meal.
请 is made of 讠 (speech) on the left and 青 (qīng) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture using polite speech to ask someone for something, and the 青 side reminds you it sounds like qīng.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 请 (qǐng) with 清 (qīng, clear) and 情 (qíng, feeling), which share the 青 part. Check the left side: 请 has the speech radical 讠, and its tone is third tone, not first.
请 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
请 qǐng · to ask · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 请.
| 请问 | qǐngwèn | Excuse me, may I ask...? |
| 请假 | qǐngjià | to request leave of absence |
| 请进 | qǐng jìn | "please come in" |
| 请坐 | qǐng zuò | please, have a seat |
| 请求 | qǐngqiú | to request; to ask; request (CL:個|个[ge4]) |
| 请客 | qǐngkè | to give a dinner party; to entertain guests |
| 请教 | qǐngjiào | to ask for guidance; to consult |
| 申请 | shēnqǐng | to apply for sth; application form (CL:份[fen4]) |
| 邀请 | yāoqǐng | to invite; invitation |
| 聘请 | pìnqǐng | to engage; to hire (a lawyer etc) |
| 请柬 | qǐngjiǎn | invitation card; written invitation |
| 敬请 | jìngqǐng | please (do sth) (deferential form) |
Questions about 请
What does 请 mean?
请 (qǐng) means "to ask; to invite" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 请?
请 is made of 1 character: 请 (10 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 请 an HSK word?
Yes. 请 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 请 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 请 is written 請.
Does 请 always mean please?
No. It often means to invite or to pay for someone, as in 我请客 (wǒ qǐngkè), "it's my treat." The meaning depends on whether it begins a request or takes a person as its object.
What is the difference between 请问 and 请?
请问 (qǐngwèn) is used before asking a question, like "excuse me, may I ask." Plain 请 comes before an action you want someone to do, as in 请坐 (qǐng zuò), "please sit."