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.

Structure

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.

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 给 孩子 们 做饭 。Māma zài gěi háizi men zuòfàn.Mom is cooking for the kids.
• 你 父母 会 不 会 给 你 买 房子 ？Nǐ fùmǔ huì bu huì gěi nǐ mǎi fángzi? Will your parents buy a home for you?
• 给 我 倒 一 杯 水 ，谢谢 。Gěi wǒ dào yī bēi shuǐ, xièxie.Pour a cup of tea for me, thank you.
• 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 儿子 喜欢 给 小狗 洗澡 。Wǒ érzi xǐhuan gěi xiǎogǒu xǐzǎo.My son likes to give a bath to our dog.
• 如果 你 来 中国 玩 ，我 给 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 给 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 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 stories to me.
• 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.

See also

• Expressing "with" with "gen"
• Verbs preceded by "gei"
• Using "dui"

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