The 把 Sentence — 把字句
Overview
The 把 (bǎ) sentence is one of Mandarin’s most distinctive structures. It moves the object to a position before the verb, signalling that the subject “disposes of” or “handles” the object through the action. The key requirement: the verb must have a result complement, directional complement, or other post-verbal element — a bare verb cannot appear in a 把 sentence. 把 sentences are used when the speaker wants to emphasise what happened to the object.
Pattern(s)
Type 1 — Basic disposal (A把B + V + Complement)
Subject + 把 + Object + Verb + Complement/ResultThe complement specifies the result or endpoint of the action performed on the object.
Type 2 — With location result (A把B + V + 在/到/给 + Location/Person)
Subject + 把 + Object + Verb + 在/到/给 + Place/RecipientThe preposition (在/到/给) after the verb indicates where the object ends up, or to whom it goes.
Type 3 — With result + direction (A把B + V + ResultComplement + DirectionalComplement)
Subject + 把 + Object + Verb + RC + 过来/过去/起来 etc.A richer complement chain where both result and movement/direction are specified.
Core Examples
Type 1 — Basic
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 请把门关上。 | Qǐng bǎ mén guān shàng. | Please close the door. |
| 我把作业做完了。 | Wǒ bǎ zuòyè zuò wán le. | I’ve finished my homework. |
| 他把苹果吃掉了。 | Tā bǎ píngguǒ chī diào le. | He ate up the apple. |
| 她把那个字写错了。 | Tā bǎ nà ge zì xiě cuò le. | She wrote that character wrong. |
| 别把书放在地上！ | Bié bǎ shū fàng zài dì shàng! | Don’t put the book on the floor! |
Type 2 — With 在 / 到 / 给
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 请把名字写在这里。 | Qǐng bǎ míngzì xiě zài zhèlǐ. | Please write your name here. |
| 他把车停到停车场了。 | Tā bǎ chē tíng dào tíngchēchǎng le. | He parked the car in the parking lot. |
| 我把礼物送给她了。 | Wǒ bǎ lǐwù sòng gěi tā le. | I gave her the gift. |
| 老师把书发给每个学生了。 | Lǎoshī bǎ shū fā gěi měi ge xuéshēng le. | The teacher handed out books to every student. |
Type 3 — With RC + Directional
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 请把水果拿过来。 | Qǐng bǎ shuǐguǒ ná guòlái. | Please bring the fruit over here. |
| 他把垃圾扔出去了。 | Tā bǎ lājī rēng chūqù le. | He threw the rubbish out. |
| 你把书包搬进来吧。 | Nǐ bǎ shūbāo bān jìnlái ba. | Bring your school bag inside. |
Pitfalls
❌ Bare verb in a 把 sentence
我把苹果吃。❌ → 我把苹果吃掉了。✅ The verb must carry a result complement, directional complement, or 了. A naked verb cannot follow 把.
❌ Using 把 with non-specific / indefinite objects
我把一本书看完了。❌ (一本书 is indefinite) 我把那本书看完了。✅ (那本书 is specific) The object of 把 must be specific and known to both speaker and listener (definite). Generic or indefinite objects cannot take 把.
❌ Using 把 when the verb doesn’t convey disposal
我把他喜欢。❌ (喜欢 is a stative/emotion verb — no disposal) 我喜欢他。✅ Stative verbs (喜欢, 知道, 是, 有, 觉得) cannot appear in 把 sentences.
❌ Placing the object after the verb as well
我把书放在桌子上书。❌ (redundant / ungrammatical) Once the object is after 把, it does not reappear after the verb.
❌ Negating incorrectly — 不 goes before 把
我把作业没做完。❌ 我没把作业做完。✅ Negation (没/不/别) precedes the entire 把 structure.
Minimal Pairs
把 sentence vs. regular SVO
| Regular SVO | 把 Sentence | Key difference |
|---|---|---|
| 我吃了苹果。(I ate an apple — general event) | 我把苹果吃掉了。(I ate up the apple — disposal/result emphasis) | 把 emphasises the effect on a specific object |
| 他关了门。(He closed the door — event) | 他把门关上了。(He got the door closed — result achieved) | 把 + complement highlights the result state |
把 vs. 被 (passive)
| 把 (Active disposal) | 被 (Passive) |
|---|---|
| 我把杯子打碎了。(I broke the cup.) | 杯子被我打碎了。(The cup was broken by me.) |
| Subject acts on object | Object receives the action |
| Subject is agent | Subject is patient |
Drills
Rewrite using the 把 structure, or fill in the blank:
- 他喝完了那杯水。→ 他___那杯水___了。
- 请你把作业___(交/交给老师) before 3pm.
- 我没找到钥匙。→ 我没___钥匙找___。
- 老师叫我把黑板___（擦 + result complement）。
- 她把手机放___桌子上了。(在/到 — where it now sits)
- 你能把这个箱子搬___来吗？(direction: towards speaker)
- 请别把垃圾扔___地上！(location: 在)
Answer Key:
- 把 / 喝完 2. 交给老师 3. 把 / 到（我没把钥匙找到）
- 擦干净（把黑板擦干净） 5. 在 6. 过 7. 在
Notes
- In colloquial speech, the 把 structure is often avoided in favour of simple SVO when result is clear from context. 把 is obligatory when you need to emphasise what happened to the object.
- Complements of 把 sentences expand through the book: Type 1 (HSK 3, L11), Type 2 with 在/到/给 (L12), Type 3 with RC+Directional (L14).
- 把 sentences are common in instructions, commands, and narrative sequences (故事) where you track what happens to specific things.
Sources
- HSK Level: 3
- HSK Standard Course 3 — L11 (把字句 Type 1), L12 (把字句 Type 2: 在/到/给), L14 (把字句 Type 3: RC+Direction)