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Expressing "for" with "gei"
===========================
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- [Expressing "for" with
"wei"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22for%22_with_%22wei%22) (B1)
- [Using "dui" with
verbs](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_%22dui%22_with_verbs) (B1)
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[给](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E7%BB%99)
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[for](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/For)
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The preposition 给 (gěi) can mean "for," as in, "Everything I do, I do
it *for* you." You can also think of it to mean "give," like to give a
service or to give an Obj. In this case, the default position of the
character is before the verb, although it sometimes comes after,
depending on the verb.
<div id="toc" class="toc">
<div id="toctitle">
Contents
--------
<span class="toctoggle"> [hide]([# "wikilink")\] </span>
</div>
- [<span class="tocnumber">1</span>
<span class="toctext">Structure</span>](#Structure "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">2</span>
<span class="toctext">Examples</span>](#Examples "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">See
also</span>](#See_also "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Sources and
further reading</span>](#Sources_and_further_reading "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">4.1</span>
<span class="toctext">Books</span>](#Books "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">4.2</span>
<span class="toctext">Dictionaries</span>](#Dictionaries "wikilink")
</div>
<span id="Structure" class="mw-headline">Structure</span>
---------------------------------------------------------
The meaning of 给 is very similar to
[为](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%BA)
(wèi) in Chinese, but 给 is more informal than 为, and there are many
cases where it's simply based on convention and general practice to
decide to use one or the other.
<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + 给 + Recipient + \[Verb Phrase\]
</div>
Note that the "recipient" in the pattern above is usually a person but
isn't necessarily a person. It could be an animal, company, or any
number of other types of recipients.
<span id="Examples" class="mw-headline">Examples</span>
-------------------------------------------------------
<div class="liju">
- *给* 客人 **倒茶** 。<span class="pinyin">*Gěi* kèrén
**dàochá**.</span><span class="trans">Pour a cup of tea for the
guest.</span>
- 妈妈 在 *给* 孩子 们 **做饭** 。<span class="pinyin">Māma zài *gěi*
háizi men **zuòfàn**.</span><span class="trans">Mom is cooking for
the kids.</span>
- 我 儿子 喜欢 *给* 小狗 **洗澡** 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ érzi
xǐhuan *gěi* xiǎogǒu **xǐzǎo**.</span><span class="trans">My son
likes to give a bath to our dog.</span>
- 请 *给* 我 **拿** 一 双 筷子 。<span class="pinyin">Qǐng *gěi* wǒ
**ná** yī shuāng kuàizi.</span><span class="trans">Please give me a
pair of chopsticks.</span>
- 可以 *给* 我 **买** 一 杯 咖啡 吗 ？<span class="pinyin">Kěyǐ *gěi*
wǒ **mǎi** yī bēi kāfēi ma?</span><span class="trans">Could you
please buy me a cup of coffee?</span>
- 可以 *给* 我 **拿 一下** 行李 吗 ？<span class="pinyin">Kěyǐ *gěi*
wǒ **ná yīxià** xíngli ma?</span><span class="trans">Can you take my
suitcase for me?</span>
- 这个 周末 我们 *给* 儿子 **开 生日 派对**
。<span class="pinyin">Zhège zhōumò wǒmen *gěi* érzi **kāi shēngrì
pàiduì**.</span><span class="trans">We're going to hold a birthday
party for our son this weekend.</span>
- 我 没 带 钥匙 ，你 能 *给* 我 **开 一下 门** 吗
？<span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi dài yàoshi, nǐ néng *gěi* wǒ **kāi
yīxià mén** ma?</span><span class="trans">I don't have the key.
Could you please open the door for me?</span>
- 你 想 让 我 *给* 你 **打扫** 房间 吗 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ xiǎng
ràng wǒ *gěi* nǐ **dǎsǎo** fángjiān
ma?</span><span class="trans">Are you asking me to clean your room
for you? </span>
- 如果 你 来 中国 玩 ，我 *给* 你 **当 导游**
。<span class="pinyin">Rúguǒ nǐ lái Zhōngguó wán, wǒ *gěi* nǐ **dāng
dǎoyóu**.</span><span class="trans">If you come to visit China, I'll
be your tour guide.</span>
</div>
<span id="See_also" class="mw-headline">See also</span>
-------------------------------------------------------
- [Expressing "with" with
"gen"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22with%22_with_%22gen%22)
- [Verbs preceded by
"gei"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Verbs_preceded_by_%22gei%22)
- [Using
"dui"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_%22dui%22)
- [Expressing "for" with
"wei"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22for%22_with_%22wei%22)
<span id="Sources_and_further_reading" class="mw-headline">Sources and further reading</span>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
### <span id="Books" class="mw-headline">Books</span>
- [现代汉语虚词例释](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%99%9A%E8%AF%8D%E4%BE%8B%E9%87%8A) (pp.
196)
[→buy](http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B004323J90/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1)
### <span id="Dictionaries" class="mw-headline">Dictionaries</span>
- [现代汉语词典（第5版）](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%8D%E5%85%B8%EF%BC%88%E7%AC%AC5%E7%89%88%EF%BC%89) (pp.
464)
[→buy](http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%8D%E5%85%B8/dp/B001B1RZCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693609&sr=8-1)
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