Also known as: 把字句 ("bǎ"zìjù), 把 construction, preposition 把, disposal construction and pre-transitive 把.
The 把 (bǎ) sentence is a useful structure for focusing on the result or influence of an action. It's really common in Mandarin but can feel a bit strange for English speakers at first.
What is a 把 sentence?
A basic sentence in Mandarin is formed with a subject-verb-object (SVO) word order, as in English:
A 把 sentence shakes things up a bit, and you get this structure:
Note that the object has moved, and is preceded by 把. You now have SOV word order.
This is all well and good, but most students of Chinese, on learning about 把 sentences for the first time, have the same reaction: "Why the hell would I ever use this structure? The SVO word order always works just fine, right?" The answer is: well, no... not always. It's true that 把 sentences are often used to achieve somewhat subtle differences in emphasis, but there are also very good reasons to use 把 sentences when a regular sentence just won't do. Take this sentence for example:
How would you say this without the 把 construction? You might try this:
The only problem is that the above sentence is not grammatical. You can't put an object right after a verb, and then put other modifiers of the verb after the object. Here are other examples of how to successfully use 把 and 放 in the same sentence.
Notes about 把
The object is known. (It's already been mentioned or discussed previously.) 把字句 is often used to describe what happened to the object in some detail (it's not just a "bare" verb; there's "more stuff" after the verb).
It's not necessarily used in past tense. You also use 把字句 for making a request or asking for a favor.
The usual structure for 把 sentences, as described above, puts the object right after 把 for certain verbs, however, you can have two objects in a 把 sentence. Their use in a 把 sentence will also involve prepositions.
They use the following structure:
Common verbs that take two objects include: 送 (sòng), 拿 (ná), 递 (dì), 卖 (mài), 借 (jiè), 还 (huán), 介绍 (jièshào).
Some examples:
Subject 把 Object 1 Verb Preposition Object 2 我们 把 礼物 送 给 客人 了 。 把 盐 递 给 我 。 他 把 房子 卖 给 谁 了 ？ 我 把 他 介绍 给 我 老板 了 。Because 把 sentences are all about disposal, and complements in Mandarin often handle this issue, it's good to be aware of how these two grammar features interact.
Result complements work particularly well in 把 sentences. When you consider that both structures deal with the result or outcome of an action, this makes sense. The majority of result complements (except for perception verbs) fit in very well in a 把 construction. For example:
Direction complements also work well in 把 constructions, for similar reasons. For example:
Note that potential complements do not appear in 把 sentences. This is because they are hypothetical, whereas a 把 sentence must describe what actually happens.
To negate a 把 sentence, insert 不要 or 别 (present or future) or 没有 (past) directly in front of 把. You can't put it after 把, 'inside' the 把 construction, as this would break the rule about describing what happened to the object. It would be like saying "What happened to ... was nothing." It doesn't sound natural.
A few examples:
Subject Negative 把 Object Verb Phrase 阿姨 没有 把 房间 打扫 干净 。 我 没 把 钱 借给 他 。 你们 不要 把 这 件 事 告诉 她 。You can make 把 sentences into questions in the usual three ways to form questions in Mandarin:
With a question particle With a question word With positive-negative verbsSome examples:
Be careful how you form questions with 把 sentences though. Remember that you have to have a definite object, and you have to describe the disposal of that object. A question form could easily get in the way of one of these conditions.
Adverbs can usually be placed before 把 or before the verb (the exception is negative adverbs, as described above). Adverbs in each of these positions can change the meaning in slightly different ways, as demonstrated with 都 in the examples below. In the first sentence, 我们都把作业做完了, 都 modifies 我们 to make "We all finished the homework." In the second sentence, 都 modifies 咖啡 to make "He finished all the coffee".
Some examples:
Subj. Adv. 把 Object Adv. Verb Phrase 我们 都 把 作业 做 完 了 。 他 把 咖啡 都 喝 完 了 。 他 已经 把 钱 还给 我 了 。 我 可能 把 手机 忘 在 朋友 家 了 。(Note the subtle difference in meaning between the first two sentences.)
把 Sentences with Aspect Particles
The particles 了 and 着 can both be used with 把 constructions, while 过 cannot. This is because the object of a 把 construction must be obvious, or 'present' in some way in the context. 过 indicates some kind of action in the past, which suggests that the object is no longer present in the context, so it's not suitable for a 把 construction.
了 and 着, though, can be used to indicate that the disposal of the object is complete or ongoing, respectively.
Some examples:
Subject 把 Object Verb Aspect particle 把 你 的 电脑 带 着 。 把 门 开 着 。 我 把 这件事 忘 了 。 她 把 垃圾 扔 了 。As mentioned above, the object of a 把 sentence must be something specific and definite. This might involve noun measure words, which will come after the 把 and before the object.
Some examples:
Subject 把 Quantity Phrase Noun Verb Phrase 我 把 那 两 件 脏 衣服 洗 干净 了 。 他 把 最后 三 块 蛋糕 吃 完 了 。 你 把 这 几 句 话 读 一下 。Verb measure words are frequently used in 把 sentences and come at the end of a 把 sentence.
Some examples:
Subject 把 Object Verb Quantity Phrase 把 课文 读 一 遍 。 她 把 这个 字 写 了 十 遍 。 他 把 手机 摔坏 过 两 三 次 。Note that in all of these sentences, the object is something specific and definite.
Some verbs generally can't indicate what happened to the object. They only describe what the subject did. Here are some examples of verbs that do not generally work in 把 sentences:
Psychological verbs 爱 (ài) to love 喜欢 (xǐhuan) to like 想 (xiǎng) to miss 了解 (liǎojiě) to know 害怕 (hàipà) to fear 恨 (hèn ) to hate Perception verbs 看 (kàn) 听 (tīng) 闻 (wén) 像 (xiàng)It's important to note that 把 has other uses. The most common is as a measure word for things with handles, or things that you hold. Examples include 一把伞, 一把枪, and 一把椅子. So, you've got to look at how 把 is being used in a sentence before you can understand its meaning.
To demonstrate the difference, here's a sentence with both kinds of 把 in: