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  <title>Polite requests with "qing"</title>
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  <h1>Polite requests with "<span class="pinyinst">qing</span>"</h1>

  <p>To be more polite in English, we add the word "please" onto our requests. In Chinese, the word <span class="hanzi">请</span> (<span class="pinyin">qǐng</span>) serves the same purpose.</p>

  <h2>Simple Requests</h2>

  <p>In its most simple form, a polite request can consist of only two words.</p>

  <h3>Structure</h3>

  <div class="deux">
    <span class="hanzist">请</span> + Verb
  </div>

  <h3>Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi"><span class="fondjaune">请</span> 进 。</span> <br /><span class="pinyin"><span class="fondjaune">Qǐng</span> jìn.</span> <br />Please come in.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi"><span class="fondjaune">请</span> 坐 。</span> <br /><span class="pinyin"><span class="fondjaune">Qǐng</span> zuò.</span> <br />Please sit down.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi"><span class="fondjaune">请</span> 说 。</span> <br /><span class="pinyin"><span class="fondjaune">Qǐng</span> shuō.</span> <br />Please speak.</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2>Longer Requests</h2>

  <p>Obviously, those requests may be significantly longer.</p>

  <h3>Structure</h3>

  <div class="deux">
    <span class="hanzist">请</span> (+ <span class="hanzist">你</span>) + Verb Phrase
  </div>

  <h3>Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi"><span class="fondjaune">请</span> 喝 茶 。</span><br /><span class="pinyin"><span class="fondjaune">Qǐng</span> hē chá.</span> <br />Please have some tea.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi"><span class="fondjaune">请</span> 不要 迟到 。</span> <br /><span class="pinyin"><span class="fondjaune">Qǐng</span> bùyào chídào.</span> <br />Please do not be late.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi"><span class="fondjaune">请</span> 尝 一 尝 。</span> <br /><span class="pinyin"><span class="fondjaune">Qǐng</span> cháng yī cháng.</span> <br />Please have a taste.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi"><span class="fondjaune">请</span> 你 说 得 慢 一点 。</span> <br /><span class="pinyin"><span class="fondjaune">Qǐng</span> nǐ shuō de màn yīdiǎn.</span> <br />Please speak more slowly.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi"><span class="fondjaune">请</span> 你 听 老师 的 话 。</span> <br /><span class="pinyin"><span class="fondjaune">Qǐng</span> nǐ tīng lǎoshī de huà.</span> <br />Please listen to the teacher.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi"><span class="fondjaune">请</span> 你 离开 。</span> <br /><span class="pinyin"><span class="fondjaune">Qǐng</span> nǐ líkāi.</span> <br />Please leave.<br /></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <p>The phrase <span class="hanzi">请问</span> (<span class="pinyin">qǐngwèn</span>) is a set expression meaning not "please ask," but rather, "may I ask." It frequently comes before asking for directions or other polite requests for information.</p>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi"><span class="fondjaune">请</span>问 ， 洗手间 在 哪里 。</span> <br /><span class="pinyin"><span class="fondjaune">Qǐng</span> wèn, xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ?</span> <br />Excuse me, where is the restroom?<br /></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2>Being Polite without <span class="hanzist">请</span> (qǐng)</h2>

  <p>You may have noticed that the Chinese themselves do not use <span class="hanzi">请</span> (<span class="pinyin">qǐng</span>) nearly as much as we use the word "please" in English. It's not because Chinese people are rude; it's because the word <span class="hanzi">请</span> (<span class="pinyin">qǐng</span>) feels rather formal in Chinese, and most people don't feel the need to use it with family members, friends, or even co-workers.</p>

  <p>Here are some other ways to start make a request to still be polite, but less in a less formal way:</p>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">你 <span class="fondjaune">可 不 可以</span> …… ？</span>  <br /><span class="pinyin">Nǐ <span class="fondjaune">kě bu kěyǐ</span> ?</span>  <br />Could you...?</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 <span class="fondjaune">能 不 能</span> …… ？</span>  <br /><span class="pinyin">Nǐ <span class="fondjaune">néng bu néng</span> ?</span>  <br />Can you...?</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi"><span class="fondjaune">麻烦</span> 你 ……</span>  <br /><span class="pinyin"><span class="fondjaune">Máfan</span> nǐ…</span>  <br />Can I trouble you to... (?)</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2>More Advanced Uses of <span class="hanzist">请</span> (<span class="pinyinst">qǐng</span>)</h2>

  <p>Aside from this "please" usage, the word <span class="hanzi">请</span> (<span class="pinyin">qǐng</span>) has some additional uses not covered here. It can mean "to invite," or "to treat (someone to a meal)," and can even be used as a causative verb. None of those uses are covered here.</p>

  <h2>Sources and further reading</h2>

  <br />

  <div class="See-also">
    <ul>
      <li>HSK Standard Course 1 (pp. 75) →buy</li>
    </ul>
  </div>
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