Difference between revisions of "Verbs preceded by "gei""

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*现在 不要 <em>给</em> 他 打 电话 。<span class="pinyin">Xiànzài bùyào <em>gěi</em> tā dǎ diànhuà.</span><span class="trans">Don't give him a phone call now.</span>
 
*现在 不要 <em>给</em> 他 打 电话 。<span class="pinyin">Xiànzài bùyào <em>gěi</em> tā dǎ diànhuà.</span><span class="trans">Don't give him a phone call now.</span>
 
*请 快点 <em>给</em> 我 回 邮件 。<span class="pinyin">Qǐng kuàidiǎn <em>gěi</em> wǒ huí yóujiàn.</span><span class="trans">Please return my email soon.</span>
 
*请 快点 <em>给</em> 我 回 邮件 。<span class="pinyin">Qǐng kuàidiǎn <em>gěi</em> wǒ huí yóujiàn.</span><span class="trans">Please return my email soon.</span>
*他 说 他 会 <em>给</em> 我 写信 。<span class="pinyin">Tā shuō tā huì <em>gěi</em> wǒ xiěxìn.</span><span class="trans">He said he would write letters to me.</span>
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*他 说 他 会 <em>给</em> 我 写信 。<span class="pinyin">Tā shuō tā huì <em>gěi</em> wǒ xiěxìn de.</span><span class="trans">He said he would write letters to me.</span>
 
*你 可以 <em>给</em> 大家 读 一下 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ kěyǐ <em>gěi</em> dàjiā dú yīxià ma?</span><span class="trans">Could you please read it for everybody?</span>
 
*你 可以 <em>给</em> 大家 读 一下 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ kěyǐ <em>gěi</em> dàjiā dú yīxià ma?</span><span class="trans">Could you please read it for everybody?</span>
 
*我 <em>给</em> 你 发 了 好 几 个 短信 ,你 怎么 不 回 ?<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>gěi</em> nǐ fā le hǎo jǐ gè duǎnxìn. Nǐ zěnme bù huí?</span><span class="trans">I sent you quite a few short messages. Why didn't you return any?</span>
 
*我 <em>给</em> 你 发 了 好 几 个 短信 ,你 怎么 不 回 ?<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>gěi</em> nǐ fā le hǎo jǐ gè duǎnxìn. Nǐ zěnme bù huí?</span><span class="trans">I sent you quite a few short messages. Why didn't you return any?</span>
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*爸爸 应该 <em>给</em> 儿子 道歉 。<span class="pinyin">Bàba yīnggāi <em>gěi</em> érzi dàoqiàn.</span><span class="trans">The father should apologize to his son.</span>
 
*爸爸 应该 <em>给</em> 儿子 道歉 。<span class="pinyin">Bàba yīnggāi <em>gěi</em> érzi dàoqiàn.</span><span class="trans">The father should apologize to his son.</span>
 
*谁 能 <em>给</em> 我 解释 一下 ?<span class="pinyin">Shéi néng <em>gěi</em> wǒ jiěshì yīxià?</span><span class="trans">Who can explain this to me?</span>
 
*谁 能 <em>给</em> 我 解释 一下 ?<span class="pinyin">Shéi néng <em>gěi</em> wǒ jiěshì yīxià?</span><span class="trans">Who can explain this to me?</span>
*<em>给</em> 我们 介绍 一下 这个 项目 吧 <span class="pinyin"><em>Gěi</em> wǒmen jièshào yīxià zhège xīn xiàngmù ba.</span><span class="trans">Tell us about this new project, please.</span>
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*老板 让 我 明天 <em>给</em> 客户 介绍 我们 产品 。<span class="trans">My boss asked to present our new product to the client tomrrow.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 08:10, 4 January 2018

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 Phrase]

Examples

  • 现在 不要 他 打 电话 。Xiànzài bùyào gěi tā dǎ diànhuà.Don't give him a phone call now.
  • 请 快点 我 回 邮件 。Qǐng kuàidiǎn gěi wǒ huí yóujiàn.Please return my email soon.
  • 他 说 他 会 我 写信 的 。Tā shuō tā huì gěi wǒ xiěxìn de.He said he would write letters to me.
  • 你 可以 大家 读 一下 吗 ?Nǐ kěyǐ gěi dàjiā dú yīxià ma?Could you please read it for everybody?
  • 你 发 了 好 几 个 短信 ,你 怎么 不 回 ?gěi nǐ fā le hǎo jǐ gè duǎnxìn. Nǐ zěnme bù huí?I sent you quite a few short messages. Why didn't you return any?
  • 她 的 粉丝 常常 她 寄 礼物 。Tā de fěnsī chángcháng gěi tā jì lǐwù.Her fans often send her gifts.
  • 小时候 ,妈妈 每天 都 我 讲 故事 。Xiǎoshíhou, māma měi tiān dōu gěi wǒ jiǎng gùshi.When I was young, every day my mother would tell me stories.
  • 爸爸 应该 儿子 道歉 。Bàba yīnggāi gěi érzi dàoqiàn.The father should apologize to his son.
  • 谁 能 我 解释 一下 ?Shéi néng gěi wǒ jiěshì yīxià?Who can explain this to me?
  • 老板 让 我 明天 客户 介绍 我们 的 新 产品 。My boss asked to present our new product to the client tomrrow.

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 Verbs followed by "gei".

See also

Sources and Further Reading

Books

Websites