Meaning of 请客
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to give a dinner party
- to entertain guests
- to invite to dinner
How to use 请客
In daily life 请客 most often means "to treat" or "to pay for everyone," especially at a meal. It is a separable verb, so you can put words in the middle, like 请你的客 or 请过客. Example: 今天我请客。(Jīntiān wǒ qǐngkè.) Today it's my treat.
请 (qǐng) means to invite or request, and 客 (kè) means guest, as in 客人 (kèrén). To invite a guest usually means you are the one paying, so 请客 is treating people to a meal.
Common mistake: Learners often say 我请客你 to mean "I'll treat you," but 请客 already contains its object. Say 我请你吃饭 (wǒ qǐng nǐ chīfàn) or 我请你的客 instead.
请客 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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- 2
- 3
- 4
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- 9
- 10
客 kè · guest · 9 strokes
- 1
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- 9
Related words
Words that share a character with 请客.
| 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 |
| 不客气 | bù kèqì | you're welcome; don't mention it |
| 客人 | kèrén | visitor; guest; customer |
| 请求 | qǐngqiú | to request; to ask; request (CL:個|个[ge4]) |
| 顾客 | gùkè | customer; client |
| 游客 | yóukè | traveler; tourist; (online gaming) guest player |
| 旅客 | lǚkè | traveler; tourist |
| 请教 | qǐngjiào | to ask for guidance; to consult |
| 客观 | kèguān | objective; impartial |
Questions about 请客
What does 请客 mean?
请客 (qǐngkè) means "to give a dinner party; to entertain guests".
How do you write 请客?
请客 is made of 2 characters: 请 (10 strokes), 客 (9 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 请客 an HSK word?
Yes. 请客 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 请客 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 请客 is written 請客.
How do I say "I'll treat you to dinner" in Chinese?
Use 请 plus the person plus the activity: 我请你吃饭 (wǒ qǐng nǐ chīfàn). You can also simply say 我请客 (wǒ qǐngkè) when the situation is clear.
Does 请客 only mean a formal dinner party?
No. It can mean hosting a dinner, but in casual speech it usually just means paying for others, such as buying coffee or snacks for friends. People often argue politely over who gets to 请客 at the end of a meal.