Verbs preceded by "gei"

The word 给 (gěi) literally means "to give," but is frequently used in Chinese to indicate the target of a verb. The target is who or what the verb is aimed or directed at.

Structure

Subj. + 给 + Target + Verb + Obj.

Examples

• 我 给 他 打 电话 了 。Literally, "I give him hit phone."Wǒ gěi tā dǎ diànhuà le.I gave him a phone call.
• 请 快点 给 我 回 电话 。Qǐng kuàidiǎn gěi wǒ huí diànhuà.Please return my phone call soon.
• 我 给 你 发 了 一 封 邮件 。Wǒ gěi nǐ fā le yī fēng yóujiàn.I sent you an email.
• 给 我 说 说 这 件 事 。Gěi wǒ shuō shuō zhè jiàn shì.Talk about this matter to me.
• 我 要 给 你 看 我们 的 新 产品 。Wǒ yào gěi nǐ kàn wǒmen de xīn chǎnpǐn.I want you to take a look at our new product.
• 给 女朋友 买 什么 礼物 呢 ？Gěi nǚpéngyou mǎi shénme lǐwù ne?What gift should I buy for my girlfriend?
• 小 时候 ，妈妈 每天 都 给 我 讲 故事 。Xiǎo shíhou, māma měitiān dōu gěi wǒ jiǎng gùshi.When I was young, every day my mother would tell me stories.
• 你 应该 给 他 道歉 。Nǐ yīnggāi gěi tā dàoqiàn.You should apologize to him.

Chinese speakers use 给 (gěi) in some interesting ways, similar to how English speakers use "to give," as in "to give someone a phone call" or "to give someone a reply."

Alternative Structure

Although the structure above is the best one to learn first, some verbs frequently use 给, but have the 给 coming after the verb, rather than before. It's best to think of these as exceptions to the rule above, and you can learn more about these exceptions by reading about "gei" following verbs.

See also

• "Gei" following verbs
• Expressing "with" with "gen"
• Using "dui"
• Complements with "dao," "gei" and "zai"

Sources and Further Reading

Books

• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 170) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 154) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (pp. 143) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 165) →buy

Websites

• Chinesegrammar.info: When 给 (gěi) comes directly after verbs in Mandarin Chinese (verb-给 compounds)