Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

refusals

62.3

62.2.2 requesting information or assistance from teachers

Teachers have an obligation to help you with learning so requests to teachers for information

can be direct. However, they should always be polite. You can preface a request with

请教/請教 qǐng jiào ‘please teach me,’ or 请问/請問 qǐng wèn ‘may I ask.’

老师，请教... (这个字怎么用？)

老師，請教... (這個字怎麼用？)

Lǎoshī, qǐng jiào... (zhège zì zěnme yòng?)

Professor, may I ask (lit. ‘please teach me’)... (how do you use this word?)

王教授，请问，您的意思是...

王教授，請問，您的意思是...

Wáng jiàoshòu, qǐng wèn, nín de yìsi shì...

Professor Wang, may I ask, do you mean...

62.2.3 Face-saving strategies used in requests

When making a request to someone outside of your close personal circle, you should leave

him or her room for a graceful refusal. That is, you should allow him or her the opportunity to

留面子 liú miànzi ‘save face’ if he or she has to refuse you. Here are some face-saving ways

to phrase requests.

• Ask if he or she has time.

你忙吗？ 你有空吗？ 你有工夫吗？

你忙嗎？ 你有空嗎？ 你有工夫嗎？

Nǐ máng ma? Nǐ yǒu kōng ma? Nǐ yǒu gōngfu ma?

Are you busy? Do you have free time? Do you have free time?

• Ask if he or she has the ability to help.
  你能不能帮我一点忙？
  你能不能幫我一點忙？
  Nǐ néng bu néng bāng wǒ yīdiǎn máng?
  Can you help me?


• Be humble
  The use of 求 qiú ‘to beg’ makes this request more humble.
  我有一点事要求你。
  我有一點事要求你。
  Wǒ yǒu yīdiǎn shì yào qiú nǐ.
  May I ask you a favor? (lit. ‘I have a little matter that I seek your help with.’)

C12.1, 52.1.3

62.3 Refusals

It is not always possible to grant a request, but it is important to phrase a refusal in such a way

that it saves face for all parties involved. Here are common ways to do so.

• Promising to try
  A promise to try leaves open the possibility that your request may be granted at some point.
  Here are some responses that promise to try.
  我试试看。 我试一试。 我尽力做。
  我試試看。 我試一試。 我盡力做。
  Wǒ shì shì kàn. Wǒ shì yī shì. Wǒ jìnlì zuò.
  I’ll see what I can do. I’ll try. I’ll try my best.