乞求

• Pinyin: qǐ qiú
• Hanzi breakdown: 乞 = 乙 + 丿 (beg); 求 = 水 variant + 一 (seek/request)

Meaning

To beg; to implore; to plead earnestly. To ask for something with great urgency and humility.

Implies a strong emotional appeal, often in desperate circumstances. Stronger than 请求 — conveys subordination and urgency. Used in formal writing, literature, and serious contexts involving desperate need.

Examples

1. 她声泪俱下地乞求对方给她一次改过自新的机会。 Through tears, she begged the other person to give her a chance to turn her life around.
2. 他跪地乞求法官从轻发落，神情悲恸，令旁观者动容。 He fell to his knees and pleaded with the judge for leniency, his grief moving onlookers.
3. 面对绝境，他只能放下自尊，向昔日的对手乞求援助。 Backed into a corner, he could only swallow his pride and beg his former rival for help.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, legal, emotional

Tone: earnest

Do Say

• 她在信中乞求对方原谅她多年前的过失，言辞恳切，令人动容。(In her letter she implored the other party to forgive her mistake of many years ago, her words deeply sincere.)
• 绝境之中，他不得不乞求当权者网开一面，给予一线生机。(In a desperate situation, he had no choice but to implore those in power to make an exception and grant him a chance.)

Don't Say

• 我乞求你帮我买咖啡 — 乞求 signals extreme urgency and humility; use 请/麻烦 for everyday requests

Origin & History

乞 (to beg) + 求 (to seek/request) — to desperately seek through begging

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal