please in Chinese

How to write 请

Animated stroke order. Tap a character to replay its stroke order.

请 is listed in the official HSK vocabulary at HSK 1. The beginner band covers the first, most essential words every learner needs.

请 in a sentence

• 请qǐng帮bāng我wǒ一yī下xià。

  Please help me.

• 请qǐng坐zuò。

  Please sit.

• 请qǐng喝hē茶chá。

  Please have some tea.

• 请qǐng问wèn，洗xǐ手shǒu间jiān在zài哪nǎ里lǐ？

  Excuse me, where is the restroom?

请 vs 请问 vs 麻烦

Similar and easily confused words, and how they differ.

• 请问 qǐng wèn excuse me; may I ask

  Fixed polite opener for questions — 请问，洗手间在哪里？ It is 请 + 问 'may I ask'.

• 麻烦 má fan to trouble (you)

  Softens requests — 麻烦你帮我 'could you help me'. 请 is the neutral 'please'.