Causative verbs 请, 让 and 叫
The verbs 请, 让 and 叫 have almost the same meaning, however we use them differently.
The verb 请
We use the verb 请 
in both spoken and written language. It has several meanings.
The first meaning is “to ask”. It is the most soft and polite form, compared to 让 and 叫.
in both spoken and written language. It has several meanings.
The first meaning is “to ask”. It is the most soft and polite form, compared to 让 and 叫.Examples
他请我做点儿饭
He asked me to cook food
tā qǐng wǒ zuò diǎnr fàn
你应该请朋友帮忙
You should ask a friend for help
nǐ yīnggāi qǐng péngyou bāngmáng
We also use 请 when making a polite request. In this case, it is translated as “please” and we should put it at the beginning of the sentence.
Examples
请跟我走
Please follow me
qǐng gēn wǒ zǒu
请给我账单
Please bring me the bill
qǐng gěi wǒ zhàngdān
Moreover 请 has the meaning “to invite”.
Examples
我去请医生
I'll call the doctor
wǒ qù qǐng yīshēng
他常常请朋友到他家做客
He often invites friends to his house
tā chángcháng qǐng péngyou dào tā jiā zuòkè
Pay attention
The phrase 请你吃饭 implies that you are planning to pay for the person you are inviting.
implies that you are planning to pay for the person you are inviting.
The verb 让
We use the verb 让 when talking about prompting an action. It also has the connotation of an order.
Firstly, it can be used when we are talking about parents and children or managers and subordinates.
when talking about prompting an action. It also has the connotation of an order.
Firstly, it can be used when we are talking about parents and children or managers and subordinates.Examples
老板让我负责一个新的工作
My boss put me in charge of a new job
lǎobǎn ràng wǒ fùzé yī ge xīn de gōngzuò
对不起，让你久等了
Sorry to make you wait
duìbuqǐ, ràng nǐ jiǔ děng le
Secondly, we use 让 when speaking about the permission. In the imperative sentences it can be translated as “let”.
Examples
妈妈不让我出门
My mother won't let me go out
māma bú ràng wǒ chūmén
让他自己去倒茶
Let him pour the tea by himself
ràng tā zìjǐ qù dào chá
The verb 叫
We use 叫 mostly in colloquial speech, when we are speaking with people we know well.
mostly in colloquial speech, when we are speaking with people we know well. Examples
妈妈叫你快一点回家
Mom told you to come home soon
māma jiào nǐ kuài yìdiǎn huí jiā
我叫狗安静下来
I told the dog to calm down
wǒ jiào gǒu ānjìng xiàlái
We also use 叫 when we want to say “to call”.
Examples
我来打电话给你叫辆出租车
Let me call you a cab
wǒ lái dǎ diànhuà gěi nǐ jiào liàng chūzūchē
他叫你跟他一起去吗？
Did he ask you to go with him?
tā jiào nǐ gēn tā yìqǐ qù ma
Pay attention
Obviously, not every causative verb maps perfectly to an English causative verb. You can see from these examples that in some cases the natural English translation doesn't even need a causative verb.
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