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>
 
*可以 <em>给</em> 我 带 一 杯 咖啡 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Kěyǐ <em>gěi</em> wǒ dài yī bēi kāfēi ma?</span><span class="trans">Could you please bring me a cup of coffee?</span>
 
*可以 <em>给</em> 我 带 一 杯 咖啡 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Kěyǐ <em>gěi</em> wǒ dài yī bēi kāfēi ma?</span><span class="trans">Could you please bring me a cup of coffee?</span>
*老公 <em>给</em> 我 买 了 一 个 大 蛋糕 。 <span class="pinyin">Lǎogōng <em>gěi</em> wǒ mǎi le yī gè dà dàngāo.</span><span class="trans">My husband bought a big cake for me.</span>
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*老公 <em>给</em> 我 买 了 一 件 衣服 。 <span class="pinyin">Lǎogōng <em>gěi</em> wǒ mǎi le yī tiáo qúnzi.</span><span class="trans">My husband bought a dress for me.</span>
 
*我们 想 <em>给</em> 儿子 开 一 个 生日 派对 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen xiǎng <em>gěi</em> érzi kāi yī gè shēngrì pàiduì.</span><span class="trans">We want to hold a birthday party for our son.</span>
 
*我们 想 <em>给</em> 儿子 开 一 个 生日 派对 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen xiǎng <em>gěi</em> érzi kāi yī gè shēngrì pàiduì.</span><span class="trans">We want to hold a birthday party for our son.</span>
 
*我 儿子 喜欢 <em>给</em> 小狗 洗澡 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ érzi xǐhuan <em>gěi</em> xiǎogǒu xǐzǎo.</span><span class="trans">My son likes to give a bath to our dog.</span>
 
*我 儿子 喜欢 <em>给</em> 小狗 洗澡 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ érzi xǐhuan <em>gěi</em> xiǎogǒu xǐzǎo.</span><span class="trans">My son likes to give a bath to our dog.</span>
*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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*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 a tour guide for you.</span>
*如果 你 自己 不 打扫 ,谁 <em>给</em> 你 打扫 ?<span class="pinyin">Rúguǒ nǐ zìjǐ bù dǎsǎo, shéi huì <em>gěi</em> nǐ dǎsǎo?</span><span class="trans">If you don't do the cleaning by yourself, who else will do it you? </span>
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*如果 你 自己 不 打扫 ,谁 <em>给</em> 你 打扫 ?<span class="pinyin">Rúguǒ nǐ zìjǐ bù dǎsǎo, shéi <em>gěi</em> nǐ dǎsǎo?</span><span class="trans">If you don't do the cleaning by yourself, who else will do it you? </span>
 
*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>
 
*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>
  

Revision as of 03:31, 20 December 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

  • 我 倒 一 杯 水 ,谢谢 。Gěi wǒ dào yī bēi shuǐ, xièxie.Pour a cup of tea for me, thank you.
  • 妈妈 在 孩子 们 做饭 。Māma zài gěi háizi men zuòfàn.Mom is cooking for the kids.
  • 我 拿 一 双 筷子 。Qǐng gěi wǒ ná yī shuāng kuàizi.Please give me a pair of chopsticks.
  • 可以 我 带 一 杯 咖啡 吗 ?Kěyǐ gěi wǒ dài yī bēi kāfēi ma?Could you please bring me a cup of coffee?
  • 老公 我 买 了 一 件 衣服 。 Lǎogōng gěi wǒ mǎi le yī tiáo qúnzi.My husband bought a dress for me.
  • 我们 想 儿子 开 一 个 生日 派对 。Wǒmen xiǎng gěi érzi kāi yī gè shēngrì pàiduì.We want to hold a birthday party for our son.
  • 我 儿子 喜欢 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 你 当 导游 。Rúguǒ nǐ lái Zhōngguó wán, wǒ gěi nǐ dāng dǎoyóu.If you come to visit China, I'll serve as a tour guide for you.
  • 如果 你 自己 不 打扫 ,谁 你 打扫 ?Rúguǒ nǐ zìjǐ bù dǎsǎo, shéi gěi nǐ dǎsǎo?If you don't do the cleaning by yourself, who else will do it 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?

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries