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<h1 id="the-把-sentence-construction">The 把 sentence construction</h1>
<p>The 把 bǎ construction is used to talk about, for example: handling or disposing of a particular object (such as sending a particular letter to somewhere); saying a particular sentence clearly; or putting something somewhere.</p>
<p>The verbs used in 把 bǎ sentences take complicated forms such resultative complements, directional complements and the complement of degree. Because of the complex use of verbs in the 把 bǎ construction, it is important to learn or revise the grammar points that are in the other sections relating to the 把 bǎ construction before embarking on this section.</p>
<p>Although 把 bǎ is not often used as a verb in modern Chinese, it still retains the meaning of to hold or to grasp. In this section I will introduce 把 bǎ as a co-verb in the 把 bǎ construction. Please note in this context that sequence is important in Chinese when it comes to describing actions. The first action in a sequence should come first in an utterance. The way to learn co-verb sentences properly is to understand the description of sequence in Chinese word order.</p>
<p>Click the following links to view the Flash files.</p>
<p>To send a letter to China. To put a cup on the table. To finish drinking the wine.</p>
<p>The following two patterns are commonly used to form 把 bǎ sentences.</p>
<ol style="list-style-type: decimal">
<li>A sentence with a verb and direct and indirect objects</li>
</ol>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S</th>
<th>(没)把</th>
<th>O direct</th>
<th>V+ other element</th>
<th>O indirect</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>小 李</td>
<td>把</td>
<td>信</td>
<td>寄 给 了</td>
<td>小 王</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Xiǎo Lǐ</td>
<td>bǎ</td>
<td>xìn</td>
<td>jì gěi le</td>
<td>Xiǎo Wang</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Xiao Li has sent the letter to Xiao Wang.</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S</th>
<th>(没)把</th>
<th>O direct</th>
<th>V+ other element</th>
<th>O indirect</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>小 李</td>
<td>把</td>
<td>信</td>
<td>寄 到</td>
<td>中国 去 了</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Xiǎo Lǐ</td>
<td>bǎ</td>
<td>xìn</td>
<td>jì dào</td>
<td>Zhōngguó qù le</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Xiao Li has sent the letter to China.</p>
<p>These two sentences show how the direct and indirect objects are connected by the verb complements 寄 给 jì gěi send to and 寄 到 jì dào send to. (The complement 给 gěi to is followed by persons and the complement 到 dào to is followed by places.) The above examples also demonstrate that ‘aspect’ 了le is placed after the verbs: in the first example it is placed after 寄 给 jì gěi send to and in the second example it is placed after 去 qù.</p>
<ol start="2" style="list-style-type: decimal">
<li>A sentence with a verb and an object</li>
</ol>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S</th>
<th>(没)把</th>
<th>O</th>
<th>V+ other element</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>你</td>
<td>没 把</td>
<td>话</td>
<td>说 清 楚</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>nǐ</td>
<td>méi bǎ</td>
<td>huà</td>
<td>shuō qīngchǔ</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>You didn’t say it clearly.</p>
<p>The negation 没 méi did not is placed before the co-verb 把 bǎ in the above sentence. Modal verbs, adverbial 地de and co-verb phrases can also precede 把 bǎ. For example</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S</th>
<th>把</th>
<th>O</th>
<th>V+ other element</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>你</td>
<td>要 把</td>
<td>话</td>
<td>说 清 楚 吗？</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>nǐ</td>
<td>yào bǎ</td>
<td>huà</td>
<td>shuō qīngchu ma</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Would you like to say it clearly?</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S</th>
<th>把</th>
<th>O</th>
<th>V+ other element</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>你</td>
<td>在这儿 把</td>
<td>话</td>
<td>说 清 楚。</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>nǐ</td>
<td>zài zhèr bǎ</td>
<td>huà</td>
<td>shuō qīngchu</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Say it clearly here.</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S</th>
<th>把</th>
<th>O</th>
<th>V+ other element</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>你</td>
<td>一句一句地 把</td>
<td>话</td>
<td>说 清 楚。</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>nǐ</td>
<td>yí jùyí jù de bǎ</td>
<td>huà</td>
<td>shuō qīngchu</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Say it clearly, sentence by sentence.</p>
<p>The following list consists of five types of the most common elements that can be attached to verbs in 把 sentences.</p>
<ol style="list-style-type: decimal">
<li>Complement of degree</li>
</ol>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S</th>
<th>---</th>
<th>---</th>
<th>---</th>
<th>---</th>
<th></th>
<th>把</th>
<th>O</th>
<th>V+ complement of degree</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>你</td>
<td>把</td>
<td>话</td>
<td>说 得 非 常 清 楚。</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>nǐ</td>
<td>bǎ</td>
<td>huà</td>
<td>shuō de fēicháng qīngchu</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>You’ve said it very clearly indeed.</p>
<ol start="2" style="list-style-type: decimal">
<li>Resultative complements apart from 见</li>
</ol>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S</th>
<th>把</th>
<th>O</th>
<th>V+ resultative complement</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>你</td>
<td>把</td>
<td>话</td>
<td>说 错 了。</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>nǐ</td>
<td>bǎ</td>
<td>huà</td>
<td>shuō chuò le</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>You’ve said it wrong.</p>
<ol start="3" style="list-style-type: decimal">
<li>Directional complements</li>
</ol>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S</th>
<th>把</th>
<th>O</th>
<th>V+ directional complement</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>你</td>
<td>把</td>
<td>衬衫</td>
<td>拿 进来。</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>nǐ</td>
<td>bǎ</td>
<td>chènshān</td>
<td>ná jìnlai</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Bring in the shirt.</p>
<ol start="4" style="list-style-type: decimal">
<li>…action measures</li>
</ol>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S</th>
<th>把</th>
<th>O</th>
<th>V+ action measure</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>你</td>
<td>把</td>
<td>房间</td>
<td>整 理一下。</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>nǐ</td>
<td>bǎ</td>
<td>fángjiān</td>
<td>zhěnglǐ yíxià</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Tidy up the room a little.</p>
<ol start="5" style="list-style-type: decimal">
<li>…着(as a continuous aspect)</li>
</ol>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S</th>
<th>把</th>
<th>O</th>
<th>V+ 着</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>你</td>
<td>把</td>
<td>门</td>
<td>开 着。</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>nǐ</td>
<td>bǎ</td>
<td>mén</td>
<td>kāi zhe</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Leave the door open.</p>
<p>Potential verb complements are not used in the 把 bǎ construction; instead the modal verb 能 néng is placed before 把 bǎ.</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S</th>
<th>把</th>
<th>O</th>
<th>V+ other element</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>你</td>
<td>能 把</td>
<td>饭</td>
<td>吃 完 吗?</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>nǐ</td>
<td>néng bǎ</td>
<td>fàn</td>
<td>chī wán ma</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Can you finish this meal?</p>
<p>Assignments</p>
<p>Frequently asked questions Click on the following links to view the answers</p>
<ol style="list-style-type: decimal">
<li>When can I use 把 sentences?</li>
<li>How can I form a sentence with 把?</li>
<li>What are the commonly used attached verb elements in the 把 construction?</li>
<li>Apart from a subject of a sentence, what other elements which can be placed before 把?</li>
<li>Where should the negation 不 be placed if the 得 (complement of degree) construction is used in a 把 sentence?</li>
<li>Sometimes a 把 sentence contains only a simple main verb and the particle 了. Does that mean that any simple verb + 了 can be used in 把 sentences?</li>
<li>Is it right that the 把 construction can only be used for real objects, and not for abstract objects?</li>
<li>What shouldn't be used in 把 sentences?</li>
<li>When can I avoid using 把?</li>
</ol>