The 把 transcribed bǎ sentence structure is used when you want to emphasize that a change has happened to the object of the sentence. It is probably one of the most interesting and challenging structures in Mandarin. It’s interesting because you almost don’t find it in any other language, and what’s challenging is not only how to use it but when to use it: You might be wondering: when do I use the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence and when do I use the regular (subject + verb + object) structure? In this post, we’re going to explore how and when to use the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence together. Let’s read on!
How to form the 把 (bǎ) sentences in Mandarin Chinese?
Here’s how the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence works:
| Subject | (Negation) | (Modal verb) | 把 transcribed bǎ | Object | Verb | Aspect marker/complement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 我 Transcription: Wǒ Translation: I | 把 Transcription: bǎ | 苹果 Transcription: píngguǒ Translation: apple | 吃 Transcription: chī Translation: eat | 了。 Transcription: le. | ||
2 | 他 Transcription: Tā Translation: He | 没 Transcription: méi Translation: not | 把 Transcription: bǎ | 作业 Transcription: zuòyè Translation: homework | 交 Transcription: Jiāo Translation: submit | 给老师。 Transcription: gěi lǎoshī. Translation: to the teacher. | |
3 | 我 Transcription: Wǒ Translation: I | 把 Transcription: bǎ | 这个字 Transcription: zhège zì Translation: this word | 写 Transcription: xiě Translation: write | 错了。 Transcription: cuò le. Translation: wrong. | ||
4 | 你 Transcription: Nǐ Translation: You | 把 Transcription: bǎ | 房间 Transcription: fángjiān Translation: room | 整理 Transcription: zhěnglǐ Translation: tidy up | 一下。 Transcription: yīxià. Translation: quickly. | ||
4 | 你 Transcription: Nǐ Translation: You | 不 Transcription: bù Translation: not | 应该 Transcription: yìnggāi Translation: should | 把 Transcription: bǎ | 零食 Transcription: língshí Translation: snack | 吃 Transcription: chī Translation: eat | 完。 Transcription: wán. Translation: finished. |
Note:
Negation and modal verbs are optional in the structure. Everything else is required.
了 is an aspectual particle that marks the completion of an action.
Here are the translations of the sentences above:
I ate the apple.
He didn't give the homework to the teacher.
I wrote this word incorrectly.
(You) clean up the room!
You should not finish the snacks.
As mentioned above, the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence is used to emphasize the change that the object undergoes, so before we talk about 把 transcribed bǎ sentence structure, we need to understand the role of a grammatical object in a sentence. In a sentence like, “I ate the apple,” “the apple” is considered the object of the sentence, because it is being acted upon by the action of eating. Let's see how to say this in Mandarin:
- 我吃了苹果。Transcription: Wǒ chīle píngguǒ.Translation: I ate the apple.
But, if you want to focus on the fact that the apple has been eaten, one way to do that is to use the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence structure:
- 我把苹果吃了。Transcription: Wǒ bǎ píngguǒ chīle.Translation: I ate the apple.
As you can see, one thing that 把 transcribed bǎ does is move the object to a position before the verb, so it shifts the focus of the sentence onto the object. In other words, the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence draws your attention to what happened to the object by moving the object to the position before the verb.
This is why the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence structure usually requires some sort of complement after the verb (e.g. 了 in the example above), since you need to tell your listener what exactly happened to the object. If you drop this complement, the sentence will often sound incomplete:
- X 我把水喝。Transcription: Wǒ bǎ shuǐ hē.Translation: I drank water.Incomplete
The sentence above would sound much more natural if you added a complement, such as 完了 meaning finished:
- 我把水喝完了。Transcription: Wǒ bǎ shuǐ hē wán le.Translation: I have finished drinking the water. / I drank all the water.
The complement here is essential to the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence because the main goal of the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence is to emphasize the change that the object undergoes. There are many different types of complements you can use, such as times, locations, and even actions. For example, complements can add information to a verb about how many times you saw a movie or you read a book. Complements can also specify the locations where you move objects to or take objects from, as well as the actions that affect the object, like drying up the clothes or drinking up the water.
- 请把这个字写三遍。Transcription: Qǐng bǎ zhège zì xiě sān biàn.Translation: Please write this word three times.The character wasn’t written but it is now written three times.
- 我把海报贴在墙上。Transcription: Wǒ bǎ hǎibào tiē zài qiáng shàng.Translation: I put the poster on the wall.The poster was moved to a new position.
- 他把衣服拿出去晒。Transcription: Tā bǎ yīfú ná chūqù shài.Translation: He took his clothes out to dry.The clothes were taken out to be dried.
And for negation, the negative adverbs (e.g., 不 transcribed bù, 没 transcribed méi, 别 transcribed bié, 不要 transcribed bùyào) usually go before 把 transcribed bǎ, instead of the main verb:
- 我没把水喝完。Transcription: Wǒ méi bǎ shuǐ hē wán.Translation: I didn't finish the water.
Mental verbs in Mandarin, such as 想 transcribed xiǎngmeaning want to, 愿意 transcribed yuànyìmeaning be willing to, 能 transcribed néngmeaning can, 可以 transcribed kěyǐmeaning be allowed to, and 该 transcribed gāimeaning should are also used with 把 transcribed bǎ often, and they should go before 把 transcribed bǎ:
- 我不想把我的鞋扔了。Transcription: Wǒ bù xiǎng bǎ wǒde xié rēng le.Translation: I don’t want to throw away my shoes.
- 你不该把水喝完。Transcription: Nǐ bù gāi bǎ shuǐ hē wán.Translation: You shouldn't finish the water.
Now, let’s talk about an even more important question: When do I use the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence?
When to use 把 (bǎ) in Mandarin Chinese?
The purpose of using 把 transcribed bǎ is to bring the focus of the sentence to the object. When you use the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence, the object should be already known to the listener, or should have been mentioned previously. For example:
- 那本书我看了三遍。Transcription: Nà běn shū wǒ kànle sān biàn.Translation: I read that book three times.
In the sentence above, it is usually assumed that the listener knows the specific book that you’re talking about.
Meaning-wise, 把 transcribed bǎ emphasizes the disposal of the object. That is, someone does something to the object so that the object changes in some shape or form. For example:
- 我把房间打扫干净了。Transcription: Wǒ bǎ fángjiān dǎsǎo gānjìngle.Translation: I cleaned the room.
Above, you performed the action of cleaning the room, and now the room is clean.
If the emphasis is not on the object, then we don’t need the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence. For example, if the emphasis is on "I," the subject, you would use the regular (subject + verb + object) structure, like this:
- 我打扫房间了。Transcription: Wǒ dǎsǎo fángjiān le.Translation: I cleaned the room.
Remember, with 把 transcribed bǎ, it’s important to have the complement (like 干净了 transcribed gānjìnglemeaning clean above) after the verb to show how the object (i.e., the room) has changed. Otherwise, the sentence will sound incomplete.
- X 我把房间打扫。Transcription: Wǒ bǎ fángjiān dǎsǎo.Translation: I cleaned the room.Incomplete
Last but not least, since the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence is all about the object, you won’t be able to use the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence if the verb doesn’t take an object. For example, 她哭了 transcribed Tā kūlemeaning She cried cannot be converted into a 把 transcribed bǎ sentence.
Similarly, verbs such as 喜欢 transcribed xǐhuanmeaning to like — as in, 我喜欢蓝色 transcribed Wó xǐhuān lánsèmeaning I like the color blue — or 要 transcribed yàomeaning to want — as in 我要那本书 transcribed Wǒ yào nà běn shūmeaning I want that book — can’t go with the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence because nothing affects the object. No matter how much you like it or want it, the color or the book won't change, so these verbs cannot go with 把 transcribed bǎ.
To sum up
Like we said earlier, the most important thing to know about 把 transcribed bǎ is when to use it. Here are the two principles:
The object of 把 transcribed bǎ should be known to the listener or has been mentioned previously.
把 transcribed bǎ expresses the meaning of disposal and emphasizes changes that happened to the object.
The more the situation fits (1) and (2), the more likely you’d use the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence. You may also want to find out how this structure is different from the 被 transcribed bèi structure, so why don’t you read that post too?
Are you confident now about using 把 transcribed bǎ when you speak Mandarin? Let’s try out some exercises to practice using 把 transcribed bǎ and to put your knowledge to work!
:quality(80))
:quality(75))
:quality(75))
:quality(75))
:quality(75))