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请假 (qǐng jià) — to ask for leave, to request time off

Definition

The act of ASKING for leave from work or school. Unlike 放假 (an official holiday given to you), 休假 (a vacation you take), or 度假 (a holiday you go somewhere for), 请假 is what YOU do to request the time off.

verb
to ask for leaveto request time off

Examples

  • 请假。
    Wǒ míng tiān yào qǐng jià.
    I need to ask for leave tomorrow.
  • 。
    Tā qǐng le sān tiān jiǎ.
    He took three days off.
  • 请假。
    Tā gēn lǎo shī qǐng jià le.
    She asked the teacher for leave.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

请qǐngask
假jiǎleave

请 means to ask and 假 means leave, so the word means to ask for time off.

Characters in this word

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 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
叚
叚jiǎ假jiǎ
Same sound today

假 pairs 亻 (person) with 叚, which gives the sound jiǎ.

Open 假 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3HSK 2.0 Level 4Workplace & Office

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