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Jack
How do you say please?
There seems to be lots of ways to say please in Mandarin and I'm not sure it's said as often as it is in English.
If I want to say 'can I have tea please'. What do I say?
What about in response to a question 'yes please'.
xie xieEveryone, I forgot to mention that I can only read pinyin!
Feb 24, 2015 5:22 AM
Answers · 6
1
“请给我来一杯茶” is how you ask for a cup of tea but it is more like "please give me a cup of tea." instead of "can I have tea please". There isn't an equivalent for "yes, please." but people usually just say "是的,谢谢" or "好的,谢谢" which is "yes, thanks." or "okay, thanks." Depending on the situation, there is another way, but it is not exactly "please". It sounds more desperate and severe if you say, for example, “求你帮帮我吧!" but this is more like "I beg you, help me!". It is like a very extreme "please". But this is useful in situations where people are saying the word "please" in the "I beg you" sense. For example, a man who has angered his wife is locked out of the house and he is begging for her to let him back in: "Susan, just listen to me! Please!" in chinese, the "please" would translate to "求求你!"
February 24, 2015
the best is 请给我 in requests and 劳驾 in help seeking
February 24, 2015
Hi, Jack.
In English, if you say that "can I have a cup of tea?", it is less polite than: "can I have a cup of tea, please". Right?
so in Chinese, if you want to ask politely,
you say "我可以要一杯茶吗?(wo ke yi yao yi bei cha ma?)"
it is the same with "can I have a cup of tea please"。
here "可以要....吗(ke yi yao....ma)" is a polite. if you are rude you don't ask, and just say "我要一杯茶!(wo yao yi bei cha!)"
and what I want to say, there is a lot of ways to say that in Chinese also. for example: “给我来杯茶(gei wo lai bei cha)”,“拿杯茶来(na bei cha lai)”... those are a little rudely, like command others.
if someone asks you a question, such as "would like something to drink?"
you response "yes,please".
it is the same with "好的,来点吧(hao de, lai dian ba)".
it doesn't thanks but means "ok, give me a little" ...
do you understand? hope it helps ^^
February 24, 2015
1 请给我来杯茶!
2 好的,请稍等?
February 24, 2015
If you want to say 'can I have tea please'. you can say like “请给我来一杯茶”; you want to answer a question,just say like “是的。”. it seems like not always“please” in mandarin.(l think so,just excuse mistakes)
February 24, 2015
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Jack
Language Skills
Chinese (Mandarin), English
Learning Language
Chinese (Mandarin)
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