请问

qǐng wèn

HSK 2.0 Level 2 HSK 3.0 Level 1 Verb Common

Save to list

A add to a list Esc back to results

Definitions

1. Excuse me, may I ask...?
2. may I ask; excuse me before a question

Stop forgetting what you study.
Build recall daily.

Try HanyuGuide's Chinese review system with multiple choice, typed recall, tone-aware practice, and reviews scheduled before memory fades.

Get Yearly · $49.99 / year

Sign up with Google

Did Google show an error? Sorry about that. Use your email below instead.

Continue with Email

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Lifetime for $119.99 Try a practice session

Word relationships

Register variants

1 item

• 劳驾 láo jià 劳驾 láo jià excuse me 劳驾 is a polite way to ask for a favor or to get someone's attention, often used in northern China, similar to 请问 in some contexts.: excuse me

Related words

1 item

• 请教 qǐng jiào 请教 qǐng jiào to ask for guidance 请教 means to consult or ask for advice, often used formally, while 请问 is more general for asking questions.: to ask for guidance

Synonyms

2 items

• 劳驾 láo jià 劳驾 láo jià excuse me 礼貌地请别人做某事或打扰别人: excuse me
• 对不起 duì bu qǐ 对不起 duì bu qǐ I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon Both are polite ways to get attention, but 请问 is used before asking a question, while 对不起 is used to apologize.: I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon

Usage notes

Collocations

Often followed directly by the question without a pause, e.g., 请问洗手间在哪里？ (May I ask where the restroom is?).

Formality

'请问' is polite and formal, used to preface a question or request. It's suitable for most situations, including with strangers or superiors.

Grammar

Guides that feature 请问

Jump into a full guide with fill-in-the-blank drills. Clicking will load the page and move you to the top.

1 guide

HSK 2.0 Level 1+ HSK 3.0 Level 1+ 5 min

喂 for “Hello?” on the Phone

Use 喂 to answer or start a phone call, and to call out “hey” to get attention.

Reading: qǐng wèn Open guide

Example Sentences

5 shown

请问 附近有停车场吗？

Is there a parking lot nearby?

请问 最近的加油站在哪里？

Excuse me, where is the nearest gas station?

请问 ，您有合作的意向吗？

Excuse me, do you have any intention of cooperating?

请问 ，邮局在哪儿？

Excuse me, where is the post office?

请问 ，卫生间在哪里？

Excuse me, where is the bathroom?

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 请问

• 问 问 wèn: to ask; to inquire
• 请 请 qǐng: to ask