把: doing something to a definite thing
我把书放在桌子上: 把 brings the object before the verb to say what you did to it and how it ended up.
Part of the free A2 Chinese course (about HSK 3). Examples are in Simplified characters with pinyin; press the speaker to hear one with your device's Chinese voice.
What 把 does
The usual Chinese order is subject, verb, object, as in English: 我吃了蛋糕 (I ate cake). With 把 (bǎ), the object moves in front of the verb:
| Subject | 把 | Object | Verb | Something more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 我 (wǒ) | 把 (bǎ) | 蛋糕 (dàngāo) | 吃 (chī) | 了 (le) |
| 他 (tā) | 把 (bǎ) | 作业 (zuòyè) | 做 (zuò) | 完了 (wán le) |
| 我 (wǒ) | 把 (bǎ) | 书 (shū) | 放 (fàng) | 在桌子上 (zài zhuōzi shang) |
A 把 sentence is about what you did to the thing, and what happened to it: the cake is gone, the homework is finished, the book is on the table.
- 我把蛋糕吃了。(Wǒ bǎ dàngāo chī le.)I ate the cake.
- 他把作业做完了。(Tā bǎ zuòyè zuòwán le.)He finished his homework.
- 我把书放在桌子上了。(Wǒ bǎ shū fàng zài zhuōzi shang le.)I put the book on the table.
Three rules
- The object is a definite thing, one both of you know about: the cake, my phone, this book. You don't 把 just any book.
- The verb can't stand alone. Something must follow it to show the result: 了, a result word like 完, 好 or 错 (Result complements: 看完, 听懂, 找到), a place with 在 or 到, or 给 + a person.
- The verb must do something to the thing. Verbs of feeling, knowing and being (喜欢, 知道, 认识, 是, 有) never take 把. Neither do verbs where nothing happens to the object, like 看见.
Not, can, don't: before 把
没, 不, 别 (don't) and helping verbs like 能, 要 and 可以 all go before 把, never between the object and the verb.
- 我没把这件事告诉妈妈。(Wǒ méi bǎ zhè jiàn shì gàosu māma.)I didn't tell Mum about this.
- 别把手机忘在出租车上。(Bié bǎ shǒujī wàng zài chūzūchē shang.)Don't leave your phone in the taxi.
- 你能把盐递给我吗？(Nǐ néng bǎ yán dì gěi wǒ ma?)Could you pass me the salt?
When is 把 needed?
Often 把 is a choice: 我做完了作业 and 我把作业做完了 both say "I finished my homework". 把 puts the focus on what happened to the homework, and it's the natural way to give instructions: 请把门关好 (qǐng bǎ mén guānhǎo, please shut the door properly).
But when the thing ends up in a place (verb + 在 or 到 + place), you need 把, or you start the sentence with the thing: 书我放在桌子上了. You can't leave the object after the verb:
| Wrong | Right |
|---|---|
| 我把书放在桌子上。 | |
| 我把衣服挂在墙上。 |
More 把 patterns, with complements like 关上 and 翻译成, come in 把 with results and complements.
Common mistakes
我放书在桌子上。→ 我把书放在桌子上。When the thing ends up somewhere, use 把.我把作业做。→ 我把作业做完了。The verb needs something after it.我把门没关好。→ 我没把门关好。没 goes before 把.我把这个电影喜欢。→ 我喜欢这个电影。Feeling and knowing verbs don't take 把.
Practice
- 请_____窗户打开。(Qǐng ___ chuānghu dǎkāi.)Options: 把 (bǎ) · 在 (zài) · 是 (shì)
Show the answer
把 (bǎ) — 把 + the thing + what you do to it.
- Which sentence means 'I didn't put the milk in the fridge'?Options: 我没把牛奶放在冰箱里。(Wǒ méi bǎ niúnǎi fàng zài bīngxiāng li.) · 我把牛奶没放在冰箱里。(Wǒ bǎ niúnǎi méi fàng zài bīngxiāng li.) · 我把牛奶放在没冰箱里。(Wǒ bǎ niúnǎi fàng zài méi bīngxiāng li.)
Show the answer
我没把牛奶放在冰箱里。(Wǒ méi bǎ niúnǎi fàng zài bīngxiāng li.) — 没 goes before 把.
- Rewrite with 把: 我吃完了面包。(Wǒ chīwán le miànbāo.)
Show the answer
我把面包吃完了 — Subject + 把 + object + verb + result.
- Which is the natural way to say 'Put the keys in the bag'?Options: 把钥匙放在包里。(Bǎ yàoshi fàng zài bāo li.) · 放钥匙在包里。(Fàng yàoshi zài bāo li.) · 放在包里把钥匙。(Fàng zài bāo li bǎ yàoshi.)
Show the answer
把钥匙放在包里。(Bǎ yàoshi fàng zài bāo li.) — When the thing ends up in a place, use 把: the object can't sit between 放 and 在.