<p>The word 给 (gěi) literally means "to give," but is frequently used in Chinese to indicate the <em>target</em> of a verb. The target is who or what the verb is aimed or directed at.</p> <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2> <div class="jiegou"> <p>Subj. + 给 + Target + Verb + Obj.</p> </div> <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>我 <em>给</em> 他 打 电话 了。<span class="expl">Literally, "I give him hit phone."</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>gěi</em> tā dǎ diànhuà le.</span><span class="trans">I gave him a phone call.</span></li> <li>请 <em>给</em> 我 回 电话。<span class="pinyin">Qǐng <em>gěi</em> wǒ huí diànhuà.</span><span class="trans">Please return my phone call.</span></li> <li>我 <em>给</em> 你 发 了 一 封 邮件。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>gěi</em> nǐ fā le yī fēng yóujiàn.</span><span class="trans">I sent you a letter.</span></li> <li>我 要 <em>给</em> 你 看 我们 的 新 产品。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ yào <em>gěi</em> nǐ kàn wǒmen de xīn chǎnpǐn.</span><span class="trans">I want you to take a look at our new product.</span></li> <li><em>给</em> 女朋友 买 什么 礼物 呢？<span class="pinyin"><em>Gěi</em> nǚpéngyou mǎi shénme lǐwù ne?</span><span class="trans">What gift should I buy for my girlfriend?</span></li> <li><em>给</em> 我 说 说 这 件 事情。<span class="pinyin"><em>Gěi</em> wǒ shuō shuō zhè jiàn shìqing.</span><span class="trans">Talk about this matter with me.</span></li> <li>小 时候，妈妈 每天 都 <em>给</em> 我 讲 故事。<span class="pinyin">Xiǎo shíhou, māma měitiān dōu <em>gěi</em> wǒ jiǎng gùshi.</span><span class="trans">When I was young, every day my mother would tell me stories.</span></li> <li>你 应该 <em>给</em> 他 道歉。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ yīnggāi <em>gěi</em> tā dàoqiàn.</span><span class="trans">You should apologize to him.</span></li> </ul> </div> <p>Chinese speakers use 给 (gěi) in some interesting ways, similar to how English speakers use "to give," as in "to give someone a phone call" or "to give someone a reply."</p> <h2 id="alternative-structure">Alternative Structure</h2> <p>Although the structure above is the best one to learn first, some verbs frequently use 给, but have the 给 coming after the verb, rather than before. It's best to think of these as exceptions to the rule above, and you can learn more about these exceptions by reading about <a href=""Gei"_following_verbs" title="wikilink">"gei" following verbs</a>.</p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul> <li><a href=""Gei"_following_verbs" title="wikilink">"Gei" following verbs</a></li> <li><a href="Expressing_"with"_with_"gen"" title="wikilink">Expressing "with" with "gen"</a></li> <li><a href="Using_"dui"" title="wikilink">Using "dui"</a></li> <li><a href="Complements_with_"dao,"_"gei"_and_"zai"" title="wikilink">Complements with "dao," "gei" and "zai"</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and Further Reading</h2> <h3 id="books">Books</h3> <ul> <li><a href="Chinese:_An_Essential_Grammar,_Second_Edition" title="wikilink">Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition</a> (pp. 170) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615">→buy</a></li> <li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_1_(3rd_ed)" title="wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)</a> (pp. 154) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385">→buy</a></li> <li><a href="New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_1_(新实用汉语课本1)" title="wikilink">New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)</a> (pp. 143) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561910401/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561910401">→buy</a></li> <li><a href="New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_1_(新实用汉语课本1)(2nd_ed)" title="wikilink">New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed)</a> (pp. 165) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561926235/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7561926235">→buy</a></li> </ul> <h3 id="websites">Websites</h3> <ul> <li>Chinesegrammar.info: <a href="http://chinesegrammar.info/structure/gei3-directly-after-verb/">When 给 (gěi) comes directly after verbs in Mandarin Chinese (verb-给 compounds)</a></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><a href="Category:B1_grammar_points" title="wikilink">Category:B1 grammar points</a></p>