Chinese Grammar Core Course — Unit 15
Unit 15
把: handling a known object
把 brings a definite, affected object before the verb and normally requires a result, location, quantity, or other outcome. It is not a decorative replacement for normal order.
These structures change what the listener notices first: a handled object, an affected subject, a route, a recipient, or a purpose. Keep the result visible.
Do not translate word by word. First identify the main verb, then attach time, place, negation, or aspect in the order shown by the pattern.
Pattern to hear
我的车被朋友借走了。
Meaning in context: My car was borrowed by a friend.
How to use it
把 brings a definite, affected object before the verb and normally requires a result, location, quantity, or other outcome. It is not a decorative replacement for normal order.
请把门关上。
These structures change what the listener notices first: a handled object, an affected subject, a route, a recipient, or a purpose. Keep the result visible.
Do not translate word by word. First identify the main verb, then attach time, place, negation, or aspect in the order shown by the pattern.
Self-check
- How to use it
- Look for the participant whose result matters most: the handled object, affected subject, route, recipient, or purpose.
- Build it yourself
- Give a practical instruction, report an unwanted result, and describe a trip with a purpose.
- Self-check
- Does every 把 sentence state what happened to the object?
Contrast and decision
For English speakers, the main adjustment is not basic SVO order but keeping time, place, aspect markers, and complements in their Chinese positions.
What to notice: 把: handling a known object
More examples to read aloud
- 手机被他拿走了。
- 门被风吹开了。
- 问题被解决了。
Read the pattern, cover the translation, and rebuild the sentence from its meaning. Return to the detailed articles for exceptions and nuance.
Build it yourself
Give three practical instructions with a visible result.
把一个确定的物品放到动作前，并说出结果或位置。
Check the answer only after you have said or written your version.
Self-check
Model and reason
把 brings a definite, affected object before the verb and normally requires a result, location, quantity, or other outcome. It is not a decorative replacement for normal order.
请把书放在桌子上。
Read the pattern, cover the translation, and rebuild the sentence from its meaning. Return to the detailed articles for exceptions and nuance.