Han character 乞

It means “beg, ask, or plead.” In Mandarin, its reading is qǐ in pinyin, roughly “chee” (like “ch” in “cheese” plus “ee”), with a low, dipping tone. In Japanese, 乞う is read こう (kō, with a long o) and means to ask or plead. In compounds, 乞求 means asking or begging for something, while 乞丐 means a beggar.

In early Chinese writing, 乞 and 气 began as one cloud-vapour sign. Oracle-bone inscriptions (writing on bones and shells) shortened its middle stroke to distinguish it from 三. Later, inscriptions cast on bronze objects and the small-seal script (a formal writing style) bent its outer strokes toward 气. After 气 kept the cloud-vapour meaning, 乞 was borrowed for asking or begging.

Is 乞 the same as 气?

No. 乞 asks or begs; 气 means air or vapour. They are historically related, but they are separate characters in modern words.

What does 乞食 mean in each language?

Its history differs by language. A 2020 study reports that 乞食 meant “begging” from the outset in Korean and Chinese. In Japan, it first meant “mendicancy” (begging as a way of life), then shifted toward “begging”; in Vietnam, the study reports, it still meant only “mendicancy.”