乞 (qǐ) — (bound form) to beg, to plead for

Definition

乞 is a bound form (b.f.) meaning 'to beg, to implore, to plead for'. It cannot stand alone in modern Chinese and must appear as part of a compound, most commonly 乞求 (qǐqiú 'to beg, to implore'), 乞讨 (qǐtǎo 'to beg for money/food'), and 乞食 (qǐshí 'to beg for food'). It has a formal or literary tone and is not used in everyday spoken Chinese for ordinary 'seeking' — that would be 找 or 请求.

b.f.

(bound form) to begto plead for

Examples

。
Tā zài jiē shàng qǐ tǎo.
He is begging on the street.
。
Tā qǐ qiú lǐngdǎo yuánliàng tā.
She begged the leader to forgive her.
。
Nà rén kào qǐ shí wéi shēng.
That person lives by begging for food.

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