Difference between revisions of "Expressing "for" with "gei""

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*请 <em>给</em> 我 拿 一 双 筷子。 <span class="pinyin">Qǐng <em>gěi</em> wǒ ná yī shuāng kuàizi.</span><span class="trans">Please give me a pair of chopsticks.</span>
 
*请 <em>给</em> 我 拿 一 双 筷子。 <span class="pinyin">Qǐng <em>gěi</em> wǒ ná yī shuāng kuàizi.</span><span class="trans">Please give me a pair of chopsticks.</span>
 
*我 <em>给</em> 你 带 了 巧克力。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>gěi</em> nǐ dài le qiǎokèlì.</span><span class="trans">I brought some chocolate for you.</span>
 
*我 <em>给</em> 你 带 了 巧克力。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>gěi</em> nǐ dài le qiǎokèlì.</span><span class="trans">I brought some chocolate for you.</span>
*如果 你 来 中国 玩 ,我 <em>给</em> 你 当 导游 。 <span class="trans">If you come to visit China, I'll serve as tour guide for you.</span>
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*如果 你 来 中国 玩 ,我 <em>给</em> 你 当 导游 。 <span class="pinyin">Rúguǒ nǐ lái Zhōngguó wán, wǒ <em>gěi</em> nǐ dāng dǎoyóu.</span><span class="trans">If you come to visit China, I'll serve as tour guide for you.</span>
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*我 没 带 钥匙 ,你 能 <em>给</em> 我 开 一下 门 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi dài yàoshi, nǐ néng <em>gěi</em> wǒ kāi yīxià mén ma?</span><span class="trans">I don't have the key. Could you please open the door for me?</span>
 
*小时候,妈妈 经常 <em>给</em> 我 讲 故事。<span class="expl">In some cases, translating with "for" in English doesn't work well.</span><span class="pinyin">Xiǎoshíhou, māma jīngcháng <em>gěi</em> wǒ jiǎng gùshi.</span><span class="trans">When I was little, mom often told me stories.</span>
 
*小时候,妈妈 经常 <em>给</em> 我 讲 故事。<span class="expl">In some cases, translating with "for" in English doesn't work well.</span><span class="pinyin">Xiǎoshíhou, māma jīngcháng <em>gěi</em> wǒ jiǎng gùshi.</span><span class="trans">When I was little, mom often told me stories.</span>
 
*医生 在 <em>给</em> 病人 看 病。 <span class="expl">In some cases, translating with "for" in English doesn't work well.</span><span class="pinyin">Yīshēng zài <em>gěi</em> bìngrén kànbìng.</span><span class="trans">The doctor is seeing the patient.</span>
 
*医生 在 <em>给</em> 病人 看 病。 <span class="expl">In some cases, translating with "for" in English doesn't work well.</span><span class="pinyin">Yīshēng zài <em>gěi</em> bìngrén kànbìng.</span><span class="trans">The doctor is seeing the patient.</span>

Revision as of 05:00, 23 August 2017

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.

Structure

The meaning of 给 is very similar to (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.

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

  • 妈妈 在 孩子 们 做饭 。 Māma zài gěi háizi men zuòfàn.Mom is cooking for the kids.
  • 你 父母 会 不 会 你 买 房子 ? Nǐ fùmǔ huì bu huì gěi nǐ mǎi fángzi? Will your parents buy a home for you?
  • 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 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.
  • 我 拿 一 双 筷子。 Qǐng gěi wǒ ná yī shuāng kuàizi.Please give me a pair of chopsticks.
  • 你 带 了 巧克力。 gěi nǐ dài le qiǎokèlì.I brought some chocolate for you.
  • 如果 你 来 中国 玩 ,我 你 当 导游 。 Rúguǒ nǐ lái Zhōngguó wán, wǒ gěi nǐ dāng dǎoyóu.If you come to visit China, I'll serve as tour guide for you.
  • 我 没 带 钥匙 ,你 能 我 开 一下 门 吗 ?Wǒ méi dài yàoshi, nǐ néng gěi wǒ kāi yīxià mén ma?I don't have the key. Could you please open the door for me?
  • 小时候,妈妈 经常 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 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.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries