Chinese word

乞求

Pronunciation

Pinyinqǐ qiú

Meaning

  • verbbeg

Example

她跪在那里，向父母乞求原谅。tā guì zài nà lǐ xiàng fù mǔ qǐ qiú yuán liàng

She kneels there, begging her parents for forgiveness.

Illustration for 乞求 (beg)

More examples

孩子向父亲乞求一个新玩具。hái zi xiàng fù qīn qǐ qiú yí gè xīn wán jù

The child begs his father for a new toy.

Core concept

A powerful need drives one person to appeal to another person's kindness instead of making an equal, matter-of-fact request.

Common phrases

  • 向陌生人乞求帮助xiàng mò shēng rén qǐ qiú bāng zhù

    beg strangers for help

  • 当众乞求原谅dāng zhòng qǐ qiú yuán liàng

    beg for forgiveness in public

Similar words

恳求kěn qiú: Ask sincerely and earnestly for something, showing heartfelt seriousness.
哀求āi qiú: Plead with sorrow and desperation for help, mercy, or forgiveness.
请求qǐng qiú: Request permission, help, or something needed in a polite or formal way.
拜托bài tuō: Ask someone to do a favor or provide help in a familiar, conversational way.

Definition in Chinese

用恳切或卑微的态度向对方请求帮助、宽恕或给予某物，语气比一般请求更强，常含哀求成分。yòng kěn qiè huò bēi wēi de tài dù xiàng duì fāng qǐng qiú bāng zhù kuān shù huò jí yǔ mǒu wù yǔ qì bǐ yì bān qǐng qiú gèng qiáng cháng hán āi qiú chéng fèn

Word origin

乞 (qǐ, "ask for alms") contributes the idea of humble appeal, while 求 (qiú, "seek") adds the object being sought, producing a verb for an especially earnest request.

Usage tips

  • Its formal and intense tone can make a simple daily request sound dramatic, so lighter request language is usually more natural for casual situations.

Opposites

Word lists with this word