<p>Yes, &quot;请问&quot; can indeed be ambiguous, because it can mean</p>
<p>&quot;may I ask ...&quot;</p>
<p>Example: <strong>请问</strong>您找誰？</p>
<p>May I ask who you are looking for?</p>
<p>or it can mean:</p>
<p>&quot;please ask (someone) ...&quot;</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>這個我也不明白，<strong>请问</strong>老師。</p>
<p>I don't understand this either. Please ask the teacher.</p>
<p>How do you know which is which? Well, as with pretty much everything language, context is the key. Context will make everything sufficiently clear. And if there is a need to add clarity still, you can always add the word &quot;you&quot; to the second example. 這個我也不明白，请<strong>你</strong>问老師。</p>
<p>And here's another &quot;clue&quot; you can look for in a sentence to help you tell the difference.</p>
<p>When 请问 is followed by a question, it mean &quot;may I ask ...&quot;</p>
<p>More examples:</p>
<p>请问<strong>你認識他嗎？</strong> May I ask if you know him?</p>
<p>请问<strong>這個字怎樣寫？</strong> May I ask how to write this character?</p>
<p>请问<strong>您貴姓？</strong> May I know your last name?</p>
<p>When 请问 is followed by a noun, mostly likely a person, then it is &quot;please ask ...&quot;</p>
<p>Some examples:</p>
<p>今天有什麽功課，请问<strong>老師</strong>。 Please ask the teacher what we have for homework today.</p>
<p>你想借錢，请问<strong>銀行</strong>。 (If) you want to borrow money, please ask the bank.</p>
<p>Answer to your other question: 大家 is not ambiguous. A big family is 大家庭 not 大家, as explained in another answer.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-16T23:30:37.353Z
No offense but I find the last two sentences kind of unusual. 「今天有什麽功課，请问老師」sounds like one is talking to a peer student. In that case, I'd use 「請去問老師」，not 「請問老師」。「请问老師，今天有什麽功課?」is acceptable because now the question is directed to the teacher. Likewise, I'd use 「請去問銀行」.
joehua
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-16T23:48:06.117Z
「今天有什麽功課，请问老師」sounds like one is talking to a peer student.  - Yes, one is talking to a fellow student.
monalisa
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-16T23:49:16.550Z
In that case, I'd use 「請去問老師」 - Use「請去問老師」if you have to go somewhere to ask the teacher. In my example, perhaps the teacher is right there with the two of you.
monalisa
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-16T15:15:52.030Z
2021-09-16T16:28:19.450Z
2021-09-16T16:28:19.450Z
monalisa
<p>When someone says 我想问一个问题 (I want to ask a question), I may reply 问吧/请问吧 as &quot;please ask&quot;, or more formally 请提出你的问题</p>
<p>When I wanna say &quot;big family&quot; , it'll be 大家庭. A single 家 is always regarded as house, rather than family. For example, 我的家还蛮大的 means my house is big, 我的家庭挺大的 means my family is big.</p>
<p>个人观点，仅供参考</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-16T14:39:37.997Z
2021-09-16T14:39:37.997Z
MessyPan
<p>请问 - Please allow me to ask. &quot;me&quot; is not required, because the audiences know well who is asking the question.</p>
<p>大家 - everybody.</p>
<p>Put the above together, 请问大家 - Please allow me to ask everybody ....</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-16T14:46:25.233Z
2021-09-16T14:46:25.233Z
r13
<p>请问 means &quot;please&quot;, but 请　alone means &quot;please&quot; like in 请开门, and 问 means &quot;to ask&quot;
So if you want to say &quot;please ask&quot;, does it become &quot;请问&quot;?</p>
<p>Also, 大家 means &quot;everybody&quot;. However, 大 alone means &quot;big&quot; and 家 alone means &quot;family&quot;
So if you want to say &quot;big family&quot;, how should it be said in order not to create ambiguity?</p>

<grammar><vocabulary>
Ambiguity with 请问 and 大家
# Ambiguity with 请问 and 大家

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-09-16)

请问 means "please", but 请　alone means "please" like in 请开门, and 问 means "to ask"
So if you want to say "please ask", does it become "请问"?

Also, 大家 means "everybody". However, 大 alone means "big" and 家 alone means "family"
So if you want to say "big family", how should it be said in order not to create ambiguity?

**Tags:** grammar, vocabulary


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-09-16. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

Yes, "请问" can indeed be ambiguous, because it can mean

"may I ask ..."

Example: **请问**您找誰？

May I ask who you are looking for?

or it can mean:

"please ask (someone) ..."

Example:

這個我也不明白，**请问**老師。

I don't understand this either. Please ask the teacher.

How do you know which is which? Well, as with pretty much everything language, context is the key. Context will make everything sufficiently clear. And if there is a need to add clarity still, you can always add the word "you" to the second example. 這個我也不明白，请**你**问老師。

And here's another "clue" you can look for in a sentence to help you tell the difference.

When 请问 is followed by a question, it mean "may I ask ..."

More examples:

请问**你認識他嗎？** May I ask if you know him?

请问**這個字怎樣寫？** May I ask how to write this character?

请问**您貴姓？** May I know your last name?

When 请问 is followed by a noun, mostly likely a person, then it is "please ask ..."

Some examples:

今天有什麽功課，请问**老師**。 Please ask the teacher what we have for homework today.

你想借錢，请问**銀行**。 (If) you want to borrow money, please ask the bank.

Answer to your other question: 大家 is not ambiguous. A big family is 大家庭 not 大家, as explained in another answer.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: No offense but I find the last two sentences kind of unusual. 「今天有什麽功課，请问老師」sounds like one is talking to a peer student. In that case, I'd use 「請去問老師」，not 「請問老師」。「请问老師，今天有什麽功課?」is acceptable because now the question is directed to the teacher. Likewise, I'd use 「請去問銀行」.  
> **username_1**: 「今天有什麽功課，请问老師」sounds like one is talking to a peer student.  - Yes, one is talking to a fellow student.  
> **username_1**: In that case, I'd use 「請去問老師」 - Use「請去問老師」if you have to go somewhere to ask the teacher. In my example, perhaps the teacher is right there with the two of you.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2021-09-16. Score: 1

When someone says 我想问一个问题 (I want to ask a question), I may reply 问吧/请问吧 as "please ask", or more formally 请提出你的问题

When I wanna say "big family" , it'll be 大家庭. A single 家 is always regarded as house, rather than family. For example, 我的家还蛮大的 means my house is big, 我的家庭挺大的 means my family is big.

个人观点，仅供参考


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### Answer by username_4 on 2021-09-16. Score: 0

请问 - Please allow me to ask. "me" is not required, because the audiences know well who is asking the question.

大家 - everybody.

Put the above together, 请问大家 - Please allow me to ask everybody ....


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