Chinese word

请教

Pronunciation

Pinyinqǐng jiào

Meaning

  • verbask

Example

我可以请教你一个问题吗？wǒ ké yǐ qǐng jiào nǐ yí gè wèn tí ma

Can I ask you one question?

Illustration for 请教 (ask)

More examples

上课后我向老师请教这道题的做法。shàng kè hòu wǒ xiàng lǎo shī qǐng jiào zhè dào tí de zuò fǎ

After class, I asked the teacher how to solve this problem.

Core concept

A respectful request that opens the way to another person's knowledge or guidance.

Common phrases

  • 向老师请教xiàng lǎo shī qǐng jiào

    ask the teacher

  • 请教一下qǐng jiào yí xià

    ask for advice

Similar words

问wèn: Put a question to someone to learn something.
询问xún wèn: Question someone in detail to check facts or understand a situation.
请问qǐng wèn: A polite question opener that gets someone's attention.

Definition in Chinese

向对方提出询问，请求指点或商量，常用于正式或需要尊重的场合。xiàng duì fāng tí chū xún wèn qǐng qiú zhí diǎn huò shāng liáng cháng yòng yú zhèng shì huò xū yào zūn zhòng de chǎng hé

Word origin

请 (qǐng, "request") + 教 (jiào, "teach") forms a polite request for someone to teach or advise the speaker.

Usage tips

  • Unlike a broad English request for information, this verb presents the speaker as seeking the other person's expertise, so it fits polite approaches to a teacher, colleague, or experienced person.

Other meanings

  • ask for adviceverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word