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拜托 (bài tuō) — to request (a favor), to entrust; (interjection) please! (used to express urgency, exasperation, or a strong plea)

Definition

拜托 covers two uses: as a verb, to entrust a favor to someone (close to 托付, but 拜托 is lighter and more casual); as an interjection, a pleading 'please!' — more urgent than 请.

verb
to request (a favor)to entrust
interjection
please! (used to express urgency, exasperation, or a strong plea)

Examples

  • 拜托。
    Zhè jiàn shì jiù bài tuō nǐ le.
    I'll leave this matter to you (please take care of it).
  • 拜托，！
    bài tuō Le, qiān wàn bié gào sù bié rén!
    Please, don't tell anyone!
  • 拜托。
    Wǒ bài tuō nǐ bāng wǒ bǎ zhè fēng xìn jì chū qù.
    I'm asking you to mail this letter for me.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

拜bàirespectfully
托tuōentrust

拜 adds respect to 托, which means to entrust, describing a humble request for help.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

拜 combines 扌 (hand, written fully as 手) with 𠦪 (herbs), showing a hand holding herbs as a gift.

Open 拜 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
乇
乇tuō托tuō
Same sound today

托 is built from 手 (hand) and 乇, which gives the sound tuō.

Open 托 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9500 Most Frequent Chinese WordsHSK 2.0 Level 61000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsGreetings & Politeness2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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