How to Say ‘May I ask...?’ in Traditional Chinese
想請問
xiǎng qǐng wèn
[shyang ching wen]
💬 Usage Tip: [想請問] is a soft, polite opener before a question, especially in service situations. After it, you can plug in almost any question: [想請問，還有位子嗎？]
Phrase Breakdown
想
xiǎng
[shyang]
want; would like to
Used here to politely introduce what the speaker would like to ask.
我想請問明天中午有位子嗎？
I would like to ask whether there are seats available tomorrow at noon.
請問
qǐng wèn
[ching wen]
may I ask; excuse me
A polite expression that softens a question and sounds courteous in service situations.
想請問，週五晚上可以訂位嗎？
I'd like to ask, can I make a reservation for Friday night?
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