Lessons 12–13: The 把 sentence (2): requirements for use, negation

Conditions for using the 把 sentence: a specific object, a verb with other elements, and the negative placed before 把.

Hanyu textbook · Hanyu 4 · Lesson 12 · Hanyu 4 · Lesson 13

请把窗户开开。

Qǐng bǎ chuānghu kāikai.

Please open the window.

Explanation

Requirements for using the “把” sentence:

(1) The subject must be the person who performs the action expressed by the predicate verb.

(2) The object of “把” is also the thing the predicate verb acts on, and it must be specific (definite). This specificity can be explicit or implied. “Explicit” means the object is preceded by clear markers such as “这”, “那”, or a modifier; “implied” means the object has no such markers, but the person or thing the speaker has in mind is already identified — in a given context the listener clearly understands what the speaker means.

(3) The verb must be followed by some other element that explains the result or effect produced by the action. These “other elements” include “了”, a reduplicated verb, an object, a complement of the verb, and so on...

(4) The negative adverb “没(有)” or a modal verb must be placed before “把”, not before the verb.

Structure

1
主语把宾语(特指)动词其他成分
The subject is the person who performs the action; the object is specific (explicit or implied); the verb must be followed by another element explaining the result or effect: 了, a reduplicated verb, an object, a complement...
- 她把药喝了。
  Tā bǎ yào hē le.
  She has taken the medicine.
- 请把窗户开开。
  Qǐng bǎ chuānghu kāikai.
  Please open the window.
- 我把桌子擦擦。
  Wǒ bǎ zhuōzi cāca.
  I'll wipe the table a bit.
- 你把昨天的作业做完了吗？
  Nǐ bǎ zuótiān de zuòyè zuòwán le ma?
  Have you finished yesterday's homework?
- 我把照相机给姐姐了。
  Wǒ bǎ zhàoxiàngjī gěi jiějie le.
  I gave the camera to my sister.
- 你把护照和机票给我。
  Nǐ bǎ hùzhào hé jīpiào gěi wǒ.
  Hand me your passport and plane ticket.
- 你把卡子按一下儿。
  Nǐ bǎ qiǎzi àn yíxiàr.
  Press the latch once.
- 把要托运的行李放上来吧。
  Bǎ yào tuō yùn de xíng lǐ fàng shàng lái ba.
  Please put the luggage you want to check in here.
2
主语没(有) / 能愿动词把宾语动词补语
Negative words or modal verbs go before 把.
- 你没把口袋里的东西都掏出来。
  Nǐ méi bǎ kǒudài lǐ de dōngxi dōu tāo chūlai.
  You haven't taken everything out of your pockets.
- 你要把口袋里的东西都掏出来。
  Nǐ yào bǎ kǒudài lǐ de dōngxi dōu tāo chūlai.
  You have to take everything out of your pockets.
- 她没把电脑关上。
  Tā méi bǎ diànnǎo guānshang.
  She hasn't turned off the computer.

Usage notes

A sentence with a potential complement expresses "can", so it is not used together with the 把 sentence (see the topic on potential complements).

Common mistakes

*你把口袋里的东西没都掏出来。/ *你把口袋里的东西要都掏出来。→ the negative and the modal verb go before 把
~~他把五瓶啤酒能喝完。~~
他能把五瓶啤酒喝完
~~请你把一本画报给我看看。~~
请把那本画报递给我看看。
the object of 把 must be specific

Practice

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