Definition
To invite someone, or to politely ask someone to do something. Also used as "please" when making a request.
Example
请进来坐，我们马上开始。
Show translation
Please come in and sit down — we'll start soon.
Etymology
请 (qǐng) is composed of the speech radical 讠(言, "speech/language") on the left and 青 (qīng, "blue-green; young") on the right, which provides the phonetic hint. The full character has been in use since classical Chinese to mean "to request" or "to invite," and its polite connotation has remained stable through the centuries into Modern Standard Mandarin.
Cultural note
In Chinese social culture, 请 carries genuine weight. Saying 请坐 (qǐng zuò, "please sit") or 请喝茶 (qǐng hē chá, "please have some tea") to a guest is a standard hospitality ritual. Hosts who skip it may seem rude. Additionally, 请客 (qǐng kè) means "to treat someone" — as in paying for a meal — a concept central to Chinese social bonding. Beware: English speakers sometimes confuse 请 with a bare "please" particle, but in Mandarin it directly precedes a verb and functions more like an invitation.