bàituō: 拜托 - Please, I Beg You, Come On

Keywords: 拜托, bàituō, baituō, please in Chinese, how to say please in Chinese, beg in Chinese, come on in Chinese, sarcastic please in Chinese, Chinese interjection, 拜托了, bàituō le, asking for a favor in Chinese, HSK 4 vocabulary

Summary: Discover the meaning of 拜托 (bàituō), a versatile and powerful Chinese word that goes far beyond a simple “please”. Learn how bàituō is used to sincerely ask for a significant favor, entrusting someone with an important task. This guide will also teach you how its meaning can flip to a sarcastic “come on!” or “give me a break!” based on tone and context, making it a crucial term for understanding the nuances of modern spoken Chinese.

Pinyin (with tone marks): bàituō

Part of Speech: Verb, Interjection

HSK Level: HSK 4

Concise Definition: To earnestly request a favor from someone or to express exasperation.

In a Nutshell: 拜托 (bàituō) is not your everyday “please” (that would be 请 (qǐng)). Think of bàituō as a “super-please” you use when asking for a real favor that might be an inconvenience. It implies you are respectfully entrusting someone with a task and placing your faith in them. Because it's so earnest, it can also be used sarcastically to mean “Oh, please!” or “Come on!” when you hear something ridiculous.

拜 (bài): This character means to pay respect, to greet formally, or to worship. Pictorially, it originally depicted two hands clasped together in a gesture of respect or prayer.

托 (tuō): This character means to entrust, to rely on, or to support with one's palm. The hand radical (手) on the left side hints at the action of holding or passing something to someone.

When combined, 拜托 (bàituō) literally means “to respectfully entrust.” This perfectly captures the feeling of humbly asking someone to take on a responsibility for you, showing both your respect for them and your need for their help.

Invoking a Social Favor (人情 rénqíng): In Chinese culture, asking for a favor is often more than a simple transaction; it's part of a complex web of social obligations known as 人情 (rénqíng). Using 拜托 (bàituō) is a way of formally acknowledging that you are imposing on someone and creating a social debt. You are not just asking, you are showing vulnerability and respect, thereby strengthening the relationship while also owing them a favor in return.

Contrast with Western “Please”: In English, “please” is a standard politeness marker used for almost any request, from “Please pass the salt” to “Please help me move.” In Chinese, 请 (qǐng) fills the role of the standard polite word. 拜托 (bàituō) is reserved for situations with higher stakes. Using it for a trivial matter would sound overly dramatic, as if you were begging someone to pass you the salt. This distinction highlights a cultural difference: bàituō acknowledges the weight of the request itself, not just the politeness of the speaker.

Forgetting the Importance of Tone: A learner might use bàituō with a flat, neutral tone, which can be confusing. It might come across as sarcastic when you mean to be sincere, or just sound awkward. Remember to use an earnest, respectful tone for sincere requests and a frustrated or incredulous tone for sarcastic remarks.

请 (qǐng) - The standard, everyday word for “please.” Use this for most polite requests.

麻烦你 (máfan nǐ) - Literally “to trouble you.” Used when asking for help that causes a small inconvenience. It's softer and less weighty than bàituō.

求求你 (qiúqiu nǐ) - “I'm begging you / I implore you.” This is much more desperate and dramatic than bàituō. Use it when you are in serious trouble and truly pleading.

劳驾 (láojià) - “Excuse me / May I trouble you.” A very polite way to get someone's attention or ask for a small favor, like asking for directions. More common in Northern China.

拜托了 (bàituō le) - A very common form of bàituō, where the particle 了 (le) adds a feeling of finality, completion, or emphasis. It's like saying “I'm officially entrusting this to you now.”

人情 (rénqíng) - The crucial cultural concept of human favor, social debt, and mutual obligation that underpins the use of bàituō.

行行好 (xíng xíng hǎo) - “Do a good deed.” A phrase used for begging, often by people asking for money or charity. It's a plea to someone's sense of compassion.