请
qǐng · HSK 1
ask
🙏 请 = 讠(speech) + 青(qīng, blue/young) — a polite spoken request
The 讠radical marks speech-related characters; 青 supplies the qīng sound (shifted to qǐng). So 请 is literally a 'speech act with qing-sound' — used for please, invite, request, or hiring someone.
请 — speech radical 讠 + 青 (qīng, blue/green)
请 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The speech radical 讠 (言) signals a meaning related to speaking, while 青 (qīng) supplies the sound. Originally it meant 'to ask' or 'request' through speech, and later extended to the polite 'please' and 'to invite'.
qǐng · HSK 1
please
🙏 请 = 讠(speech) + 青(qīng, blue/young) — a polite spoken request
The 讠 radical marks speech-related characters; 青 here is phonetic, giving qǐng its sound. So 请 is literally a 'speech-with-qing-sound' — the polite verb you use to invite someone or say please.
请 — speech radical 讠 + 青 (qīng, blue/green)
请 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The speech radical 讠 (言) signals a meaning related to speaking, while 青 (qīng) supplies the sound. Originally it meant 'to ask' or 'request' through speech, and later extended to the polite 'please' and 'to invite'.