4.12: Lesson 4 Grammar - Verbs preceded by 给 (gěi)

Structure

Subj. + 给 + Target + [Verb Phrase]

Examples

• 现在不要给他打电话。
  Xiànzài bùyào gěi tā dǎ diànhuà.
  Don't give him a phone call now.
  
• 请快点给我回邮件。
  Qǐng kuàidiǎn gěi wǒ huí yóujiàn.
  Please hurry up and reply to my email.
  
• 他说他会给我写信的。
  Tā shuō tā huì gěi wǒ xiě xìn de.
  He said he would write letters to me.
  
• 你可以给大家读一下吗？
  Nǐ kěyǐ gěi dàjiā dú yīxià ma?
  Could you please read it for everybody?
  
• 我给你发短信了，你怎么不回？
  Wǒ gěi nǐ fā duǎnxìn le. Nǐ zěnme bù huí?
  I sent you a text. Why didn't you reply?
  
• 她的粉丝常常给她寄礼物。
  Tā de fěnsī chángcháng gěi tā jì lǐwù.
  Her fans often send her gifts.
  
• 小时候，妈妈每天都给我讲故事。
  Xiǎo shíhou, māma měi tiān dōu gěi wǒ jiǎng gùshi.
  When I was young, my mother would tell me stories every day.
  
• 爸爸应该给儿子道歉。
  Bàba yīnggāi gěi érzi dàoqiàn.
  The father should apologize to his son.
  
• 谁能给我解释一下？
  Shéi néng gěi wǒ jiěshì yīxià?
  Who can explain this to me?
  
• 老板让我明天给客户介绍我们的新产品。
  Lǎobǎn ràng wǒ míngtiān gěi kèhù jièshào wǒmen de xīn chǎnpǐn.
  My boss asked to present our new product to the client tomorrow.

Chinese speakers use 给 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. You will learn more about these exceptional verbs later on.

[adapted from AllSet Learning Chinese Grammar Wiki, Creative Commons License BY-NC-SA 3.0]

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Any Questions?

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