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

Definition

请假 means 'to ask for leave' — it focuses on the act of requesting permission to be absent (from work, school, etc.), not on the time off itself. Unlike 休假 (taking scheduled vacation) or 放假 (having a public holiday), 请假 is a deliberate request you make to a superior or authority.

verb

to ask for leaveto request time off

Examples

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

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