How to Say Please in Chinese: 请 and Other Polite Expressions

The most common word you’ll learn for please in Chinese is:

请
qǐng
Please

For example:

请坐
qǐng zuò
Please sit down.

But there is an important difference between English and Mandarin:

请 is not a word you should automatically add every time an English sentence contains “please.”

Depending on the situation, Chinese speakers may use 请问, 麻烦你, a question with 可以…吗, or simply a naturally worded request.

Learning how these expressions differ will make your Mandarin sound much more natural.

TL;DR

• 请 (qǐng) is the basic Chinese word commonly translated as “please.”
• Put 请 before a verb in expressions such as 请坐 and 请进.
• 请问 (qǐngwèn) is a useful polite way to begin a question.
• 麻烦你 (máfan nǐ) is common when politely asking someone to do something for you.
• Use 麻烦您 (máfan nín) when you want the respectful form of “you.”
• 可以…吗 (kěyǐ…ma) can turn a request into “Could I…?” or “Could you…?” depending on the sentence.
• 能…吗 (néng…ma) is another common way to make a request.
• 请不要 (qǐng bú yào) means “please don’t” in polite instructions or requests.
• Mandarin politeness depends on the entire sentence and situation, not simply adding 请 everywhere.

Table of Contents

Chinese Ways to Say Please at a Glance

You do not need to memorize all of these immediately.

For a beginner, start with 请, 请问, and 可以…吗. Then add the other patterns as you encounter more real conversations.

1. 请: The Basic Word for Please

The character to remember first is:

请
qǐng

A simple beginner pattern is:

请 + Verb

For example:

请坐
qǐng zuò
Please sit down.

请进
qǐng jìn
Please come in.

请看
qǐng kàn
Please look.

请等一下
qǐng děng yíxià
Please wait a moment.

This pattern is especially common in polite instructions, invitations, service situations, signs, announcements, and relatively direct requests.

You might hear:

请进

when someone invites you into a room.

Or:

请坐

when someone invites you to take a seat.

So although 请 is commonly translated as “please,” it also has a strong connection with politely asking, inviting, or requesting someone to do something.

2. 请问: A Polite Way to Start a Question

One of the most useful expressions for travelers and beginners is:

请问
qǐngwèn
May I ask… / Excuse me…

You can put 请问 before a question to introduce it politely.

For example:

请问洗手间在哪里
qǐngwèn xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ
Excuse me, where is the restroom?

Or:

请问现在几点
qǐngwèn xiànzài jǐ diǎn
Excuse me, what time is it?

Another useful example is:

请问这个多少钱
qǐngwèn zhège duōshao qián
Excuse me, how much is this?

Notice what 请问 is doing.

It does not replace the question itself.

Instead, it politely introduces the question:

请问 + Question

This makes it extremely useful when approaching a stranger, asking for directions, speaking to staff, or requesting information.

If Chinese question words such as 哪里, 什么, and 多少 are still unfamiliar, see our Chinese question words guide.

3. 麻烦你: When You Are Asking Someone for Help

Another very useful expression is:

麻烦你
máfan nǐ

The word 麻烦 can relate to trouble, inconvenience, or bothering someone.

But in a request, 麻烦你… is commonly used to politely ask someone to do something for you.

A natural English translation might be:

Could I trouble you to…?

or simply:

Could you please…?

For example:

麻烦你帮我一下
máfan nǐ bāng wǒ yíxià
Could you please help me?

Another example:

麻烦你再说一遍
máfan nǐ zài shuō yí biàn
Could you please say that again?

This is particularly useful for language learners.

If someone speaks too quickly, you can say:

麻烦你说慢一点
máfan nǐ shuō màn yìdiǎn
Could you please speak a little more slowly?

Compared with simply putting 请 before a command, 麻烦你 can explicitly acknowledge that you are asking the other person to make an effort for you.

4. 麻烦您: A More Respectful Version

Chinese has two useful forms of “you”:

你
nǐ
you

and:

您
nín
you, respectful

So you can change:

麻烦你

to:

麻烦您

For example:

麻烦您帮我一下
máfan nín bāng wǒ yíxià
Could you please help me?

The English translation may look almost identical, but the Chinese sentence communicates additional respect through 您.

You may hear 您 when speaking respectfully to customers, older people, or others in situations where the speaker wants to show deference.

That does not mean you must replace every 你 with 您 to be polite. The appropriate choice depends on the relationship and context.

5. 可以…吗: Can I? or Could You?

Mandarin often makes a request polite by turning it into a question rather than simply attaching a word meaning “please.”

A very useful pattern is:

可以 + Verb + 吗？

For example:

我可以坐这里吗
wǒ kěyǐ zuò zhèlǐ ma
Can I sit here?

You can also ask another person:

你可以帮我吗
nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ ma
Can you help me?

Or:

你可以说慢一点吗
nǐ kěyǐ shuō màn yìdiǎn ma
Could you speak a little more slowly?

Notice that none of these sentences contains 请.

They can still function as polite requests.

This is one of the most important things to understand about saying “please” in Chinese:

Politeness does not depend on one magic word.

The way you frame the entire request matters.

6. 能…吗: Another Natural Request Pattern

You can also use 能 (néng) in many requests.

For example:

你能帮我吗
nǐ néng bāng wǒ ma
Can you help me?

Or:

你能再说一遍吗
nǐ néng zài shuō yí biàn ma
Can you say that again?

At a beginner level, both 可以…吗 and 能…吗 can appear in requests translated with English “can” or “could.”

Their meanings are not identical in every context. 可以 often relates to permission or whether something is acceptable, while 能 often relates to ability or whether circumstances allow something.

But you do not need to master every modal-verb distinction before making useful requests.

Compare:

你可以帮我吗

and:

你能帮我吗

Both can be used to ask someone for help.

7. 请不要: How to Say Please Don’t

What if you want to ask someone not to do something?

A useful pattern is:

请不要 + Verb

For example:

请不要说话
qǐng bú yào shuōhuà
Please don’t talk.

Another example:

请不要抽烟
qǐng bú yào chōuyān
Please don’t smoke.

Or:

请不要拍照
qǐng bú yào pāizhào
Please don’t take photos.

You are especially likely to encounter this structure in notices, rules, announcements, or polite instructions.

A useful point about pronunciation: 不 is written bù, but before a fourth-tone syllable such as 要 (yào), it is normally pronounced with a second tone, bú. That is why 不要 is pronounced bú yào.

For more help with Mandarin tones, see our Chinese tone marks guide.

Why “Please” Does Not Always Mean 请

This is where English-speaking learners often make their biggest mistake.

Suppose you want to say:

Could you please help me?

A learner may try to translate every English element and build the Chinese sentence around 请.

But Mandarin gives you several natural possibilities.

For example:

请帮我一下
qǐng bāng wǒ yíxià
Please help me.

You could also say:

麻烦你帮我一下

Or:

你可以帮我吗

Or:

你能帮我吗

These sentences are not mechanically interchangeable in every context, but they demonstrate an important principle:

Natural Mandarin requests are built around the situation and the relationship between speakers, not around translating the English word “please” every time it appears.

Please in Chinese at a Restaurant

Imagine you are ordering at a restaurant.

If you want water, you might say:

请给我一杯水
qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi shuǐ
Please give me a glass of water.

Another possible request is:

麻烦给我一杯水
máfan gěi wǒ yì bēi shuǐ
Could I have a glass of water?

Notice the measure word 杯 between 一 and 水.

If patterns like this are unfamiliar, our Chinese measure words guide explains why Mandarin uses classifiers in expressions such as 一杯水.

Please in Chinese When Asking for Directions

If you need directions, 请问 is especially useful.

For example:

请问地铁站在哪里
qǐngwèn dìtiězhàn zài nǎlǐ
Excuse me, where is the subway station?

This is a useful travel pattern:

请问 + Place + 在哪里

For example:

请问洗手间在哪里

请问地铁站在哪里

You can replace the place while keeping the rest of the structure.

Please in Chinese When You Don’t Understand

These expressions are particularly useful when you are actually learning Mandarin.

Please Say It Again

请再说一遍
qǐng zài shuō yí biàn
Please say it again.

Please Speak More Slowly

请说慢一点
qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn
Please speak a little more slowly.

You could make the request differently:

麻烦你再说一遍

or:

你可以说慢一点吗

The meaning is similar, but the structure used to express politeness changes.

How to Respond Politely

Knowing how to make a request is only half of the conversation.

If someone helps you, one of the most useful responses is:

谢谢
xièxie
Thank you.

For example, after asking someone for directions or help, a simple 谢谢 is often exactly what you need.

You can learn several ways to express gratitude in our guide to how to say thank you in Mandarin.

Common Mistakes When Saying Please in Chinese

Translating Every “Please” as 请

This is the most important mistake to avoid.

English:

Could you please help me?

does not force you to use 请 in Chinese.

Depending on the situation, you might say:

麻烦你帮我一下

or:

你可以帮我吗

The entire request creates the polite effect.

Using 请问 as a General Replacement for Please

请问 is extremely useful, but it has a particular function: it introduces a question politely.

For example:

请问洗手间在哪里

is natural.

But 请问 is not simply a more polite version of 请 that can replace it everywhere.

Think of it as:

May I ask…?

rather than just:

Please.

Thinking 麻烦 Always Means “Trouble”

If you look up 麻烦 in a dictionary, you may first encounter meanings such as “trouble” or “troublesome.”

That can make:

麻烦你

look strange.

In requests, however, it can function as a polite way to acknowledge that you are asking someone to do something for you.

Learn the whole expression rather than translating each character or word mechanically.

Assuming 您 Is Required for Every Polite Conversation

您 is respectful, but Mandarin politeness is not as simple as:

你 = rude

and:

您 = polite

The choice depends on the relationship, region, situation, and the level of respect the speaker wants to communicate.

A sentence with 你 can still be polite.

For example:

你可以帮我吗

is a normal request.

Making Every Request Too Formal

Once learners discover several polite expressions, they sometimes try to put all of them into one sentence.

You usually do not need to stack every politeness device you know.

Choose a natural structure that fits the situation.

Simple Mandarin is often better Mandarin.

Quick Practice

Choose a natural expression for each situation.

1. You invite someone to sit down

请坐

2. You politely ask a stranger where the restroom is

请问洗手间在哪里

3. You ask someone to help you

One natural option is:

麻烦你帮我一下

4. You ask permission to sit somewhere

我可以坐这里吗

5. You ask someone not to take photos

请不要拍照

6. You want someone to repeat what they said

请再说一遍

Chinese Please Cheat Sheet

If you remember only two expressions today, make them:

请

and:

请问

Then learn the question patterns rather than trying to translate English “please” word for word.

FAQ

How do you say please in Chinese?

The basic Chinese word for “please” is:

请

It is pronounced qǐng and commonly appears before a verb, as in:

请坐

“Please sit down.”

How do you pronounce 请?

请 is pronounced qǐng in Mandarin.

It uses the third tone.

The initial q in pinyin does not sound like the English letter Q, so listening to native or synthesized Mandarin audio is more useful than trying to pronounce it from English spelling.

You can also use our Chinese pronunciation tool to practice individual Chinese characters and phrases.

What does 请 mean in Chinese?

请 can be used when politely asking or inviting someone to do something.

Depending on the sentence, English translations can include “please,” “invite,” or “ask.”

Beginners will encounter it frequently in expressions such as 请坐, 请进, and 请问.

What does 请问 mean?

请问 (qǐngwèn) is a polite expression used before asking a question.

A natural English equivalent is often “Excuse me, may I ask…?”

For example:

请问地铁站在哪里

means:

“Excuse me, where is the subway station?”

What is the difference between 请 and 请问?

请 is used more broadly in requests and invitations.

请问 specifically introduces a question politely.

Compare:

请坐
Please sit down.

请问洗手间在哪里
Excuse me, where is the restroom?

What does 麻烦你 mean?

In a request, 麻烦你 is a polite way of asking someone to do something for you.

For example:

麻烦你帮我一下

means roughly:

“Could you please help me?”

The expression acknowledges that you are asking the other person to make some effort or accept some inconvenience.

What is the difference between 麻烦你 and 麻烦您?

你 is the ordinary form of “you.”

您 is a respectful form.

So 麻烦您 can communicate more deference than 麻烦你, although which one is appropriate depends on the relationship and situation.

Can I just use 请 for every English “please”?

No.

This is one of the most useful lessons for beginners.

Chinese can make requests polite through expressions such as 麻烦你, 可以…吗, 能…吗, appropriate wording, and conversational context.

Do not translate every English “please” mechanically as 请.

How do you say “please help me” in Chinese?

A straightforward version is:

请帮我一下
qǐng bāng wǒ yíxià

Another natural option is:

麻烦你帮我一下
máfan nǐ bāng wǒ yíxià

How do you say “please wait” in Chinese?

You can say:

请等一下
qǐng děng yíxià

This means “Please wait a moment.”

How do you say “please don’t” in Chinese?

A useful pattern is:

请不要 + Verb

For example:

请不要拍照

means:

“Please don’t take photos.”

Is 请 polite?

Yes, 请 is commonly associated with polite requests and invitations.

But adding 请 does not automatically make every possible sentence perfectly appropriate. Tone, wording, context, and the relationship between speakers also affect how a request is understood.

What to Learn Next

Once you can use 请, start connecting it with the Mandarin you already know.

Learn Chinese question words so you can build useful 请问 questions such as 请问洗手间在哪里 and 请问这个多少钱.

Review Chinese sentence structure to understand where verbs, objects, time expressions, and locations normally appear in beginner Mandarin sentences.

If expressions such as 一杯水 are unfamiliar, our Chinese measure words guide explains the classifier patterns used when counting and ordering things.

And after someone answers your question or helps you, you’ll probably need our guide to how to say thank you in Mandarin.

Final Thoughts

The first word to learn for please in Chinese is:

请

But the more important lesson is that Mandarin does not use one word in every situation where English uses “please.”

Use 请 for many polite requests and invitations.

Use 请问 when politely introducing a question.

Use 麻烦你 or 麻烦您 when asking someone to do something for you.

Use patterns such as 可以…吗 and 能…吗 to make requests as questions.

And use 请不要 when politely asking someone not to do something.

Once you stop translating “please” word for word and start choosing the expression that fits the situation, your Chinese requests will sound much more natural.