Essential Chinese Vocabulary: Rules and Scenarios by Teng Wen-Hua

Author:Teng, Wen-Hua
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781317754930
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

(ii)

As a verb, 请 is often used in the ‘A 请 B + verb’ pattern to indicate that A asks or invites B to do something. It is either a polite request or an invitation.

今天有一个朋友请我和我先生吃晚饭，所以我们请我妈妈来我们家帮我们看孩子。

Jīntiān yǒu yī ge péngyǒu qǐng wǒ hé wǒ xiānsheng chī wǎnfàn, suǒyǐ wǒmen qǐng wǒ māma lái wǒmen jiā bāng wǒmen kān háizi.

Today a friend has invited me and my husband to dinner, so we have asked my mother to come to our house to babysit for us.

王经理请张小姐下班以后在办公室等他一下，因为他要请张小姐去看电影。

Wáng jīnglǐ qǐng Zhāng xiǎojiě xià bān yǐhòu zài bàngōngshì děng tā yīxià, yīnwèi tā yào qǐng Zhāng xiǎojiě qù kàn diànyǐng.

Manager Wang has asked Miss Zhang to wait for him in the office after work because he is going to take her to (see) a movie (treat her to a movie).

男: 李小姐，你现在有空吗？我想请你去喝杯咖。

Nán: Lǐ xiǎojiě, nǐ xiànzài yǒu kòng ma? Wǒ xiǎng qǐng nǐ qù hē bēi kāfēi.

女: 你也请我妹妹(一起去)，好不好？

Nǚ: Nǐ yě qǐng wǒ mèimei (yīqǐ qù), hǎo bù hǎo?

Man: Miss Li, do you have time now? I would like to invite you to have a cup of coffee (I would like to take you out for a cup of coffee).

Woman: Can you treat my younger sister (to coffee), too?

It should be noted that a noun cannot follow ‘A 请 B’. This is a common mistake made by English speakers since ‘A treats B to something’ or ‘A takes B out to something’ is a common expression in English.

妈妈: 小中，快开始写功课。你写了功课以后，爸爸要请我们去吃冰淇淋。(Do NOT say 爸爸要请我们冰淇淋。)

Māma: Xiǎozhōng, kuài kāishǐ xiě gōngkè. Nǐ xiě le gōngkè yǐhòu, bàba yào qǐng wǒmen qù chī bīngqílín.

Mother: Xiaozhong, (hurry and) start your homework now. After you are done with your homework, your father is going to treat us to some ice cream (take us out for ice cream).

王文生又有钱又大方，常常请朋友吃晚饭、看电影、看球赛；每次都是他请客，从来不要他的朋友出钱。(Do Not say 请朋友晚饭、 电影、球赛。)

Wáng Wénshēng yòu yǒuqián yòu dàfāng, chángcháng qǐng péngyǒu chī wǎnfàn, kàn diànyǐng, kàn qiúsài; měi cì dōu shì tā qǐng kè, cónglái bú yào tā de péngyǒu chū qián.

Wang Wensheng is both rich and generous; he often treats his friends to dinners, movies and ball games. He pays for them (treats them) every time, and he never wants them to pay.

In addition, because 请 can mean ‘to treat’ as well as ‘to invite’, it is important to pay attention to the context in order to know whether it is only an invitation or an actual treat.

A:

李中请我这星期六去他家吃晚饭，可惜我不能去，因为我那天要去北京。

Lǐ Zhōng qǐng wǒ zhè xīngqī liù qù tā jiā chī wǎnfàn, kěxí wǒ bù nèng qù, yīnwèi wǒ nà tiān yào qù Běijīng.

B:

是吗？他为什么要请你吃饭？

Shì ma? Tā wèi shénme yào qǐng nǐ chī fàn?

A:

因为上星期我请他看了一场电影。

Yīnwèi shàng xīngqī wǒ qǐng tā kàn le yī chǎng diànyǐng.

A:

Li Zhong has invited me to his house for dinner this Saturday; too bad I cannot go because I am going to Beijing that day.

B:

Is that so? Why was he going to treat you to dinner?

A:

Because I treated him to a movie last week.

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