Expressing "for" with "gei"

The preposition 给 (gěi) can mean "for," as in, "everything I do, I do it for you." You can also think of it to mean "give," like to give a service or to give an Obj.. In this case, the default position of the character is before the verb, although it sometimes comes after, depending on the verb.

Basic Usage

The meaning of 给 is very similar to 为 (wèi) in Chinese, but 给 is more informal than 为, and there are many cases where it's simply based on convention and general practice to decide to use one or the other.

Structure

Subj. + 给 + [Recipient] + Verb + Obj.

Note that the "recipient" in the pattern above is usually a person, but isn't necessarily a person. It could be an animal, or company, or any number of other types of recipients.

Examples

• 我 要 给 孩子 们 做饭 。 Wǒ yào gěi háizi men zuòfàn.I need to cook for the kids.
• 我 给 你 当 翻译 。 Wǒ gěi nǐ dāng fānyì.I'll serve as translator for you.
• 你的 父母 会 不 会 给 你 买 房子 ？ Nǐ de fùmǔ huì bu huì gěi nǐ mǎi fángzi? Will your parents buy a home for you?
• 给 我 泡 一 杯 茶 好 吗 ？ Gěi wǒ pào yī bēi chá hǎo ma?Could you make a cup of tea for me?
• 老公 给 我 买 了 一 个 大 蛋糕。 Lǎogōng gěi wǒ mǎi le yī gè dà dàngāo.My husband bought a big cake for me.
• 请 给 我 拿 一 双 筷子。 Qǐng gěi wǒ ná yī shuāng kuàizi.Please give me a pair of chopsticks.
• 我 给 你 带 了 巧克力。 Wǒ gěi nǐ dài le qiǎokèlì.I brought some chocolate for you.
• 可以 给 我 寄 到 办公室 吗？Kěyǐ gěi wǒ jì dào bàngōgnshì ma? Could you send it to my office?
• 小时候，妈妈 经常 给 我 讲 故事。In some cases, translating with "for" in English doesn't work well.Xiǎoshíhou, māma jīngcháng gěi wǒ jiǎng gùshi.When I was little, mom often told me stories.
• 医生 在 给 病人 看 病。 In some cases, translating with "for" in English doesn't work well.Yīshēng zài gěi bìngrén kànbìng.The doctor is seeing the patient.

Usage After the Verb

There are some common verbs which allow the 给 to follow the verb.

Structure

Subj. + Verb + 给 + [Recipient] + Obj.

Examples

For examples of this usage, please see the article "gei" following verbs.

See also

• "For" with "wei"
• Verbs with "gei"

Sources and further reading

Books

• 现代汉语虚词例释 (p. 196)→buy

Dictionaries

• 现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. 464) →buy