Definitions
to beg
Etymology
Originally a variant of 气, which depicts a gust of air. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
About
The character 乞 originated as a graphic variant of 气 (qì, meaning "vapor" or "air"), from which it was derived by omitting one horizontal stroke. This graphical differentiation allowed 乞 (qǐ) to specialize in the semantic field of requesting or begging, a meaning that was likely an early phonetic loan from the original "vapor" sense. In its traditional form, which is identical to its simplified form in this case, the character is a standalone component with no further decomposition in modern analysis. Over time, its meaning solidified around the act of asking for something, often from a position of need, as seen in words like 乞讨 (to beg) and 乞求 (to implore).
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
那个乞丐很可怜。
他在街上乞讨。
她乞求他的原谅。
老人被迫乞食为生。
他们向过往行人乞讨一些零钱。
在贫困地区，许多人以乞讨为生。
他多次乞求老板原谅他的错误。
尽管生活困难，他也没有去乞讨。