Expressing "for" with "gei"

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.

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Structure

The meaning of 给 is very similar to 为 (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.

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.

Examples

See also

Sources and further reading

Books