乞讨

• Pinyin: qǐ tǎo
• Hanzi breakdown: 乞 = 乙 + 丿 (beg); 讨 = 讠(speech) + 寸 (measure) (seek/demand)

Meaning

To beg; to solicit alms. The act of going from place to place asking for food, money, or charity.

More specific than 乞求 — focuses on the repeated act of seeking material necessities. Common in discussions of poverty, homelessness, and social welfare. Appears in both historical and contemporary social contexts.

Examples

1. 禁止在公共场所乞讨的规定在各大城市相继出台，引发了广泛的社会讨论。 Rules banning panhandling in public places have been introduced one after another in major cities, sparking widespread public debate.
2. 战乱年代，流离失所的百姓沿途乞讨，苟延残喘地熬过了漫长岁月。 During the years of war, displaced people begged for food along the way, barely surviving through the long, hard times.
3. 他靠乞讨维持生计多年，直到社会救助机构将他送入了安置中心。 He survived by begging for many years, until social service agencies brought him to a resettlement center.

Usage Guide

Context: society, poverty, welfare

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 政府设立了多处救助站，旨在帮助街头乞讨的流浪人员重新融入社会。(The government has established multiple assistance centres aimed at helping street beggars reintegrate into society.)
• 他在艰难岁月中靠乞讨度日，却从未放弃对未来重建生活的希望。(During difficult years he survived by begging, yet never gave up hope of rebuilding his life.)

Don't Say

• 我去乞讨一些意见 — 乞讨 specifically means begging for material necessities; use 征求 or 请教 when seeking opinions or advice

Origin & History

乞 (to beg) + 讨 (to seek/demand) — to go about seeking charity

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal