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申请 (shēn qǐng) — to apply for (a job, scholarship, visa, etc.)

Definition

申请 (shēnqǐng) means 'to apply for' something (a job, school, visa). It pairs with what you want (申请签证), unlike the rarer formal 申办 and 申领 used for official documents and large events.

verb
to apply for (a job, scholarship, visa, etc.)
Measure word · 份

Examples

  • 申请。
    Wǒ shēn qǐng le zhè suǒ dà xué.
    I applied to this university.
  • 申请。
    Tā zhèng zài shēn qǐng qiān zhèng.
    He is applying for a visa.
  • 申请？
    Nǐ shēn qǐng le zhè mén kè chéng ma?
    Did you apply for this course?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

申shēnstate
请qǐngrequest

申 expresses stating a request, 请 expresses asking; together they mean to apply.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape comes from a picture of a bolt of lightning. It was the original character for lightning and spirit.

Open 申 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 請; 请 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng請qǐng
Same sound today

In the traditional form 請, 言 shows it relates to speaking, and 青 gives the sound; the simplified 请 is a later shorter form.

Open 请 →
Appears in
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