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