申请

You use it as both a verb and a noun. You can 申请 a scholarship or submit a 申请. It usually follows a simple pattern: Subject + 申请 + Object. For example, 我申请贷款 (I am applying for a loan). You can also add 向 to show who you are asking. 向公司申请 means applying to the company. It is a very flexible word for your adult life.

Use this when there is a form involved. Use it for university spots or new credit cards. Use it at work for time off. If you are texting your boss about a promotion, this is your word. It sounds professional and serious. It shows you respect the process. Even in casual talk, use it for 'official' personal milestones. Like applying for a marathon or a dating show.

Do not use it for small, personal favors. Don't 申请 your friend to pass the salt. That would sound like you are mocking them with bureaucracy. Don't use it for 'ordering' food at a restaurant. That is 点餐. If you use it with your partner for a date, they might think you are being sarcastic. Unless you are joking about your relationship being a corporate office.

In China, the 'application culture' is huge. From school to residency permits (户口), paperwork is a way of life. Using 申请 correctly shows you understand social order. It reflects the value placed on formal procedures and hierarchy. It is a word that carries the weight of hope and bureaucracy combined.

You will often see 申请表 which is the application form itself. There is also 申请人 for the applicant. If you are successful, you might hear 申请通过 (application approved). If not, you might hear 申请被拒绝 (application rejected). Keep these in your pocket for any official business in China.