qǐng xuǎnzé xǐyīchéngxù.

to ask (politely)

Breakdown of qǐng xuǎnzé xǐyīchéngxù.

• 选择xuǎnzé: to choose
• 洗衣程序xǐyīchéngxù: wash program

Questions & Answers about qǐng xuǎnzé xǐyīchéngxù.

What does 请 do in this sentence?

请 makes the command more polite. In a sentence like 请选择洗衣程序, it works a lot like please in English.

So:

• 选择洗衣程序 = select the washing program
• 请选择洗衣程序 = please select the washing program

In instructions on machines, screens, and signs, 请 is very common. It softens the tone without changing the basic meaning.

Why is there no subject like 你?

Mandarin often leaves out subjects when they are obvious from context.

On a washing machine screen, the person reading the message is obviously the one who should do the action, so 你 is unnecessary.

A fuller version would be:

• 请你选择洗衣程序。

But this sounds a bit more explicit than what you usually see on a machine. The shorter 请选择洗衣程序。 is more natural for interface language and instructions.

How should I break this sentence into words?

A good breakdown is:

• 请 = please
• 选择 = to choose / select
• 洗衣程序 = washing program / wash cycle

So the structure is:

• 请 + 选择 + 洗衣程序

It is helpful to treat 洗衣程序 as one noun phrase:

• 洗衣 = washing clothes / laundry
• 程序 = procedure, program, cycle

Together, 洗衣程序 means the washing machine’s program or cycle.