我请客
wǒ qǐng kè
In Chinese, 'my treat' is expressed as 我请客 (wǒ qǐng kè).
The phrase 我请客 is commonly used when a speaker is announcing their intention to pay for a meal or a round of drinks.
Which one should you use?
While 我请客 emphasizes the act of treating someone, 我买单 focuses more specifically on the act of settling the bill. If you want to say 'let me pay for it' in a formal context, you can use 由我来付费. Other informal options include 我来请, meaning 'let me invite you' and 我付钱, meaning 'I'll pay'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase 我请客 functions as a complete sentence and does not require a direct object like 'the bill' to be grammatically correct.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ qǐng kè
Did you know?
- While 我请客 is used for meals, Chinese culture has a specific concept called AA制 (AA zhì) for splitting the bill, based on the English 'A' and 'B' for two people.
- In Chinese culture, it is customary to engage in a polite 'struggle' over who pays the bill before someone finally says 我请客.
- The word 客 in 我请客 actually means 'guest', so the phrase literally translates to 'I invite the guest'.
Examples in context
- 今天是我请客。Today is my treat.This sentence is useful for demonstrating how to use 我请客.Tatoeba #470019 by GlossaMatik, translation #470017 by CM
- 我请客，我们去吃北京烤鸭吧！Let me treat you. Let's go have Peking duck!
- 我来请大家喝杯咖啡庆祝新项目的成功吧!Let me treat everyone to a cup of coffee to celebrate the success of our new project!
- 这顿饭我请客。Zhè dùn fàn wǒ qǐngkè.This meal is my treat.
- 别担心，今天我请客。Bié dānxīn, jīntiān wǒ qǐngkè.Don't worry, today is my treat.
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding who pays for dinner.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen这顿饭怎么算？Zhè dùn fàn zěnme suàn?How should we split this meal?
- 俊杰 Junjie不用分，我请客。Búyòng fēn, wǒ qǐngkè.No need to split, my treat.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen真的吗？太谢谢你了。Zhēn de ma? Tài xièxie nǐ le.Really? Thank you so much.
- 俊杰 Junjie不客气，晓雯。Bú kèqi, Xiǎowén.You're welcome, Xiaowen.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
