請

Translingual

Stroke order (Chinese)

Stroke order (Japan)

Han character

請 (Kangxi radical 149, 言+8, 15 strokes, cangjie input 卜口手一月 (YRQMB), four-corner 0562₇, composition ⿰訁青 or ⿰訁靑)

Derived characters

• 𡃑

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1167, character 18
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 35640
• Dae Jaweon: page 1632, character 28
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 3981, character 3
• Unihan data for U+8ACB

• Unihan data for U+FABB

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 請
Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sʰleŋʔ, *zleŋs, *zleŋ) : semantic 言 (“say”) + phonetic 青 (OC *sʰleːŋ).

Pronunciation 1

Definitions

請

1. to ask; to ask for; to request

   請幾日假／请几日假 [Cantonese]  ―  ceng² gei² jat⁶ gaa³   ―  to request several days off (請假／请假)

   請你不要把我當傻子。 [MSC, trad.]
   请你不要把我当傻子。 [MSC, simp.]

   Qǐng nǐ bùyào bǎ wǒ dànɡ shǎzi.

   Please don't treat me like a fool.

   我請他幫我買東西。 [MSC, trad.]
   我请他帮我买东西。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ qǐng tā bāng wǒ mǎi dōngxi.

   I asked him to buy something for me.

   • 陳恆弒其君，請討之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     陈恒弑其君，请讨之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Chén Héng shì qí jūn, qǐng tǎo zhī.

     Chen Heng has slain his sovereign. I beg that you will undertake to punish him.

   • 請子奉之，以主社稷。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     请子奉之，以主社稷。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

     Qǐng zǐ fèng zhī, yǐ zhǔ shèjì.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 羿請不死之藥於西王母，姮娥竊以奔月 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     羿请不死之药于西王母，姮娥窃以奔月 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Huainanzi, 2^nd century BCE

     Yì qǐng bùsǐ zhī yào yú Xīwángmǔ, Héng'é qiè yǐ bēn yuè

     Hou Yi asked for the medicine of immortality from the Queen Mother of the West, Chang'e stole it in order to escape to the moon

   1. kindly allow me to...

      • 顏淵曰：「回雖不敏，請事斯語矣。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
        颜渊曰：「回虽不敏，请事斯语矣。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

        From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

        Yán Yuān yuē: “Huí suī bù mǐn, qǐng shì sī yǔ yǐ.”

        Yan Yuan then said, "Though I am deficient in intelligence and vigor, I will make it my business to practice this lesson."

      • 王好戰，請以戰喻。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
        王好战，请以战喻。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

        From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

        Wáng hàozhàn, qǐng yǐ zhàn yù.

        Your majesty is fond of war - let me take an illustration from war.

2. to ask
3. to greet; to ask how someone is

   請安／请安  ―  qǐng'ān  ―  to pay respect (to someone senior)

   • 陸生往請，直入坐，而陳丞相方深念，不時見陸生。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     陆生往请，直入坐，而陈丞相方深念，不时见陆生。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Lù shēng wǎng qǐng, zhí rù zuò, ér Chén chéngxiàng fāng shēnniàn, bùshí jiàn Lù shēng.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

4. to invite; to treat (to a meal, etc.)

   不請自來／不请自来  ―  bùqǐngzìlái  ―  to turn up without being invited

   如果你得閒，我想請你飲茶。 [Cantonese, trad.]
   如果你得闲，我想请你饮茶。 [Cantonese, simp.]

   jyu⁴ gwo² nei⁵ dak¹ haan⁴, ngo⁵ soeng² ceng² nei⁵ jam² caa⁴.

   If you are free, I would like to ask you out for yum cha.

5. to hire

   請工人／请工人  ―  qǐng gōngrén  ―  hire workers.

   佢冇錢請律師。 [Cantonese, trad.]
   佢冇钱请律师。 [Cantonese, simp.]

   keoi⁵ mou⁵ cin^4-2 ceng² leot⁶ si¹.

   He does not have the money to hire a lawyer.

6. to carry or bring (a sacred or respectable thing)

   請神／请神  ―  qǐng shén  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   展護衛，請聖旨！ [MSC, trad.]
   展护卫，请圣旨！ [MSC, simp.]

   Zhǎn hùwèi, qǐng shèngzhǐ!

   Royal Guard Zhan, bring out the royal edict!

7. please; kindly

   請稍候。／请稍候。  ―  Qǐng shāohòu.  ―  Just a moment, please

   請坐／请坐 [Cantonese]  ―  ceng² co⁵   ―  Please be seated.

8. (Internet slang, interjection) Used to form a retort.

   (Can we add an example for this sense?)

9. a surname

Synonyms

• (to ask for):

• (to invite):

• (to hire):

Compounds

Pronunciation 2

Definitions

請

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Compounds

Pronunciation 3

Definitions

請

1. Only used in 請室／请室 (qīngshì).

Pronunciation 4

Definitions

請

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Further reading

• “Entry #11414”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2023.

Japanese

Shinjitai	請
Kyūjitai	請󠄁 請+󠄁? (Adobe-Japan1)
	請󠄃 請+󠄃? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details.

Stroke order (Japan)

Kanji

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

1. beg; ask
2. ask; request
3. entertain sincerely
4. (普(ふ)請(しん)) donate to constructing a temple or a shrine
5. receive

Readings

From Middle Chinese 請 (MC tshjengX); compare Mandarin 請／请 (qǐng):

• Go-on: しょう (shō)^{←しやう (syau, historical)}
• Kan-on: せい (sei, Jōyō)
• Tō-on: しん (shin, Jōyō ^†)

From Middle Chinese 請 (MC dzjeng); compare Mandarin 請／请 (qíng):

• Go-on: じょう (jō)^{←じやう (zyau, historical)}
• Kan-on: せい (sei, Jōyō)

From native Japanese roots:

• Kun: こう (kou, 請う, Jōyō)^{←こふ (kofu, 請ふ, historical)}; うける (ukeru, 請ける, Jōyō)
• Nanori: うけ (uke)

Compounds

Usage notes

The stroke order in Japanese differs slightly from Chinese, as shown.

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 請 (MC tshjengX).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しょ​ー (Atamadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

請(しょう) • (shō) ^{←しやう (syau)?}

1. request

References

Korean

Hanja

請 (eumhun 청할 청 (cheonghal cheong))

1. Hanja form^? of 청 (“to ask; to beg; to request”).

Vietnamese

Han character

請: Hán Việt readings: thỉnh, tình, tính
請: Nôm readings: thảnh, thín, thinh

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.