Lesson 4 Grammar: Verbs preceded by 给 (gěi)
- Page ID
- 63024
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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, and you can learn more about these exceptions by reading about verbs followed by "gei".
[adapted from AllSet Learning Chinese Grammar Wiki, Creative Commons License BY-NC-SA 3.0]
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Any Questions?
If you have any questions about this grammar point, please ask in this thread!