Please in Chinese: 请 (Plus Excuse Me and Sorry)
沉浸 TeamAugust 6, 20264 min readThe word for please in Chinese is 请 (qǐng). You put it before a verb to make a polite request or invitation: 请坐 (qǐng zuò, "please sit") or 请问 (qǐngwèn, "may I ask"). That's the direct answer, but there's a twist worth knowing.
Chinese uses "please" less often than English does, and politeness usually lives in other phrases instead. This guide covers 请, plus how to say "excuse me" and "sorry", as part of our essential Chinese phrases guide.
How to use 请 (qǐng)
请 goes at the front of a sentence, right before the action you're inviting someone to do:
- 请坐 (qǐng zuò): please sit down. The classic host phrase.
- 请进 (qǐng jìn): please come in.
- 请问 (qǐngwèn): may I ask. The polite way to open a question to a stranger.
Notice the pattern: 请 works more like "I invite you to..." than like the English "please" you tack onto the end of a sentence. There's no natural Chinese version of "pass the salt, please". That's why beginners who sprinkle 请 everywhere can sound oddly formal, like a hotel announcement.
Where the politeness lives instead
So how do Chinese speakers soften a request? Mostly with sentence patterns and a few key phrases:
- 帮我...好吗? (bāng wǒ... hǎo ma?): can you help me..., okay? Ending a request with 好吗 ("is that okay?") does the softening work that "please" does in English.
- 麻烦你 (máfan nǐ): sorry to trouble you. 麻烦 means "trouble", and starting a request with it is one of the most natural ways to be polite. 麻烦你帮我拿一下 means "could I trouble you to grab that for me?".
- ...一下 (yíxià): a little, for a moment. Adding 一下 after a verb makes the request feel small and easy: 等一下 (děng yíxià, "wait a moment").
If you remember one thing from this section: 麻烦你 plus a request sounds more native than 请 plus a request in everyday life.
How to say excuse me in Chinese
English "excuse me" covers several jobs, and Chinese uses a different phrase for each one:
- 请问 (qǐngwèn): excuse me, may I ask. For starting a question: 请问，地铁站在哪里? ("Excuse me, where's the subway station?").
- 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi): excuse me, sorry to bother you. For getting attention, interrupting, or a mild apology. This is the all-purpose social smoother you'll hear constantly.
- 借过 (jièguò): coming through. For squeezing past people on a crowded bus or sidewalk. Literally "borrow a pass".
- 打扰一下 (dǎrǎo yíxià): sorry to disturb you. A bit more formal, good for interrupting someone who's busy, like a coworker or teacher.
How to say sorry in Chinese
For real apologies, you have two main options plus the mild one you just met:
- 对不起 (duìbuqǐ): I'm sorry. A sincere apology for something that was your fault: stepping on a foot, breaking something, being late.
- 抱歉 (bàoqiàn): sorry, my apologies. More formal, common in writing and announcements: 非常抱歉 ("we sincerely apologize").
- 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi): sorry (light). For small stuff: being 2 minutes late, asking a favor, bumping an elbow.
The difference between 不好意思 and 对不起 is weight. 不好意思 means "I feel a little embarrassed about this" and fits minor everyday friction. 对不起 owns a real mistake. If you knock over a stranger's coffee, say 对不起. If you squeeze past them in line, 不好意思 is plenty.
When someone apologizes to you, the standard reply is 没关系 (méi guānxi): "it doesn't matter, no worries". It's the same phrase that can answer a thank you, and we cover it more in our guide to you're welcome in Chinese.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say please in Mandarin?
Use 请 (qǐng) before a verb: 请坐 (qǐng zuò, "please sit"), 请进 (qǐng jìn, "please come in"). For everyday requests, 麻烦你 (máfan nǐ, "sorry to trouble you") often sounds more natural than 请.
What does qing wen mean?
请问 (qǐngwèn) means "may I ask" or "excuse me". It's the polite way to open a question to a stranger, like asking for directions.
What's the difference between duibuqi and buhaoyisi?
对不起 (duìbuqǐ) is a sincere "I'm sorry" for a real mistake. 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi) is a lighter "sorry, excuse me" for small inconveniences, like interrupting someone or being slightly late.
How do you respond to duibuqi?
Say 没关系 (méi guānxi), "it doesn't matter". For small things you can also say 没事 (méishì), "it's nothing". After someone thanks you, see our thank you in Chinese guide for the full exchange.
Not sure if your qǐng sounds like a third tone? Paste any phrase from this post into our free Chinese to pinyin converter to check the tones, or create a free Chenjin account to hear them read aloud and save them as flashcards.
