Doing something to it: 把
把 brings the object before the verb, to say what is done to it.
把 bǎ moves a particular object before the verb, to say what is done to it and how it ends up: the subject, 把 and the object, then the verb and something more: a result, a direction, a place or 了.
- Qǐng bǎ mén guānshang.Please close the door.
- Wǒ bǎ zuòyè zuòwán le.I've finished my homework.
- Tā bǎ shū fàng zài zhuōzi shàng le.He put the book on the table.
- Qǐng bǎ zhè jù huà fānyì chéng Yīngyǔ.Please translate this sentence into English.
Its rules
- The object is a particular one: "the door", not "a door".
- The verb doesn't end the sentence on its own: 把门关上, not 把门关.
- 没, 不 and words like 要 go before 把: 我没把门关上.
- Verbs that do nothing to the object, like 喜欢 "like", 知道 "know" and 看见 "see", don't take 把.
- Bié bǎ yàoshi wàng le.Don't forget the keys.
Cards from this guide
8 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Verbs cards.
How do you say "Please close the door" with 把?
请把门关上。
Can a 把 sentence end with the bare verb, as in 把门关?
No: something must follow the verb, such as a result: 把门关上.
Where does 没 go in a 把 sentence?
Before 把: 我没把门关上。
How do you say "He put the book on the table"?
他把书放在桌子上了。
Can 喜欢 (to like) take 把?
No.
How do you say "Translate this sentence into English"?
把这句话翻译成英语。
Where does the object go in a 把 sentence?
Right after 把, before the verb: 请把窗户打开.
Can the object of 把 be "a key", any key at all?
No: it is a particular one, like 把钥匙 "the keys".