给 transcribed gěi is a common and very versatile word in Mandarin Chinese, and it can be used as either a verb meaning “to give” or as a preposition. Look at the examples below to see a couple potential uses for 给 transcribed gěi.
In the first sentence, 给 transcribed gěi is used as a verb ("to give"). A verb refers to an action (e.g. to run, to sing). In the second sentence, 给 transcribed gěi is used as a preposition (“for”). A preposition expresses spatial, temporal, or other relations. For example: “the girl in the room” (spatial relation), “she spoke before me” (temporal relation), and “Did you buy that for me?” (the purpose of purchase).
Using 给 transcribed gěi should be a piece of cake, right? Hold your horses! 给 transcribed gěi in Mandarin is more versatile than "to give" in English. In Mandarin, 给 transcribed gěi can be used as either a verb or a preposition. In English, prepositions usually come after the verb, but it is the other way around in Mandarin. For example, in the sentence 他给女儿做什么都行 transcribed Tā gěi nǚ'ér zuò shénme dōu xíngmeaning He will do anything for his daughter, 给 is used before the verb 做 transcribed zuòmeaning to do. However, in English, the preposition "for" is used after the verb "to do."
Dive on in and keep reading to learn more about 给 transcribed gěi and take another step towards mastering Mandarin!
How to use 给 (gěi) as a verb in Mandarin Chinese?
Similar to how English speakers use "to give," 给 transcribed gěi in Mandarin can be used as a verb, as in the following examples:
How to use 给 (gěi) as a preposition in Mandarin Chinese?
In addition to its function as a verb, 给 transcribed gěi can also be used as a preposition meaning "for," "to," or “by,” among others. 给 transcribed gěi combines with other words to form a prepositional phrase that indicates the recipient of an action. The prepositional phrase can be placed either before or after the verb.
When is 给 (gěi) placed before a verb?
In Mandarin, the 给 transcribed gěi prepositional phrase is normally placed before the verb.
Although 给 transcribed gěi phrases normally precede a verb like any other prepositional phrase in Mandarin, they sometimes come after a verb.
In the second sentence, the 给 phrase goes in the end of the sentence. This type of usage occurs more in informal situations and by southern speakers. The first sentence with 给 phrase before the verb, appears to be more formal than the second sentence.
When is 给 (gěi) placed after a verb?
给 transcribed gěi can also be used after the verb, called a verb-给 compound.
借给 transcribed jiègěi in the first sentence is a compound verb, meaning “to lend to.” The verb-给 compound is a common way to talk about doing something for or to someone in Mandarin.
Some commonly used verb-给 compounds are listed below.
| Verb-给 compound | Example |
|---|---|
寄给 transcribed jìgěimeaning to mail to | 朋友寄给他一本书。 Transcription: Péngyou jìgěi tā yī běn shū. Translation: A friend sent him a book. |
递给 transcribed dìgěimeaning to pass to | 麻烦您把书递给我。 Transcription: Máfan nín bǎ shū dìgěi wǒ. Translation: Please pass me the book. |
交给 transcribed jiāogěimeaning to hand in to | 请把这个袋子交给小王。 Transcription: Qǐng bǎ zhè ge dàizi jiāogěi Xiǎo Wáng. Translation: Please give this bag to Xiao Wang. |
卖给 transcribed màigěimeaning to sell to | 我不想卖给你。 Transcription: Wǒ bù xiǎng màigěi nǐ. Translation: I don't want to sell it to you. |
还给 transcribed huángěimeaning to give back to | 你能把钱还给我吗？ Transcription: Nǐ néng bǎ qián huángěi wǒ ma? Translation: Can you pay back my money? |
讲给 transcribed jiǎnggěimeaning to tell about | 朋友讲给我听了。 Transcription: Péngyou jiǎnggěi wǒ tīng le. Translation: A friend told me about it. |
How to use 给 (gěi) in a passive sentence in Mandarin Chinese?
Another important function of 给 transcribed gěimeaning by is to form part of a passive sentence. In this case, 给 is a preposition. A passive sentence with 给 follows this pattern:
给 transcribed gěi can be replaced by 被 transcribed bèimeaning by, as in 我被他骗了 transcribed Wǒ bèi tā piàn lemeaning I was deceived by him. 被 sentences can also omit the doer, e.g. 我被骗了 transcribed Wǒ bèi piàn lemeaning I was deceived. The difference between 给 and 被 is that the former is more informal and is not usually used in written language, where the latter is used more in formal situations.
To sum up
给 transcribed gěi can be used as either a verb or a preposition. When it is used as a verb, it is similar to the English verb “to give.” However, when 给 is used as a preposition (similar to “for,” “to,” or “by” in English), it can appear before a verb, as well as after a verb. Here are the patterns 给 follows when it is used as a preposition:
| 给 used before verb | 给 + recipient + verb |
|---|---|
| 给 used after verb | verb-给 + recipient |
| 给 in passive sentence | recipient + 给 + doer + verb + other elements |
Now, let’s check whether you’ve successfully learned how to use 给 with some helpful exercises. Be sure to try your best!
