The word 给 (gěi) literally means "to give," but is frequently used in Chinese to indicate the target of a verb. The target is who or what the verb is aimed or directed at.

Structure

Examples

我给他打电话了。Literally, "I give him hit phone."Wǒ gěi tā dǎ diànhuà le.I gave him a phone call.
请给我回电话。Qǐng gěi wǒ huí diànhuà.Please return my phone call.
我给你发了一封邮件。Wǒ gěi nǐ fā le yī fēng yóujiàn.I sent you a letter.
我要给你看我们的新产品。Wǒ yào gěi nǐ kàn wǒmen de xīn chǎnpǐn.I want you to take a look at our new product.
给女朋友买什么礼物呢？Gěi nǚpéngyou mǎi shénme lǐwù ne?What gift should I buy for my girlfriend?
给我说说这件事情。Gěi wǒ shuō shuō zhè jiàn shìqing.Talk about this matter with me.
小时候，妈妈每天都给我讲故事。Xiǎo shíhou, māma měitiān dōu gěi wǒ jiǎng gùshi.When I was young, every day my mother would tell me stories.
你应该给他道歉。Nǐ yīnggāi gěi tā dàoqiàn.You should apologize to him.

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."

Alternative Structure

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 "gei" following verbs.

Structure

Examples

Alternative Structure

See also

Sources and Further Reading

Books

Websites