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Level Independent Chinese · HSK 3

把 in Depth: 把…成, 把…到, Negatives, Breaking Things and 买大了

At A2, 把 moved an object before the verb to show what happened to it. At B1 you use it for transforming and relocating things, combine it with negatives and modals, and describe accidents: what broke, and how.

把 + object + verb + 成 / 到 / 给 / 在

成 (into), 到 (to), 给 (to someone) and 在 (at) after the verb say where the object ends up. With these endings, 把 is usually the only natural word order.

  • 请把这句话翻译成中文。

    Qǐng bǎ zhè jù huà fānyì chéng Zhōngwén.

    Please translate this sentence into Chinese.

  • 他把“大”写成了“太”。

    Tā bǎ “dà” xiěchéng le “tài”.

    He wrote 大 as 太 by mistake.

  • 我把这些书送到图书馆去。

    Wǒ bǎ zhèxiē shū sòngdào túshūguǎn qu.

    I'll take these books to the library.

  • 请把盐递给我。

    Qǐng bǎ yán dì gěi wǒ.

    Please pass me the salt.

Negatives and modals go before 把

没, 别, 不, 能, 要, 应该 and other adverbs and modals all go before 把, never before the verb.

  • 我没把门关上。

    Wǒ méi bǎ mén guānshang.

    I didn't shut the door.

  • 别把东西放在这儿。

    Bié bǎ dōngxi fàng zài zhèr.

    Don't put things here.

  • 你应该把作业做完。

    Nǐ yīnggāi bǎ zuòyè zuòwán.

    You should finish your homework.

Breaking things: 破, 断, 坏

Each describes a different kind of damage and attaches to the verb that caused it. 破 (pò): cracked, torn, smashed (glass, paper, clothes). 断 (duàn): snapped in two (a bone, a stick, a cable). 坏 (huài): broken and not working (machines), or gone off (food). 弄坏 is the all-purpose "break, damage".

  • 他把杯子打破了。

    Tā bǎ bēizi dǎpò le.

    He broke the glass.

  • 我的腿摔断了。

    Wǒ de tuǐ shuāiduàn le.

    I fell and broke my leg.

  • 手机被我弄坏了。

    Shǒujī bèi wǒ nònghuài le.

    I broke the phone.

Verb + adjective + 了: missed the target

买大了 is "bought it too big", 来早了 "came too early". The adjective names the way the result missed. With clothes, adjective + 了 alone means it doesn't fit: 这条裤子长了 (these trousers are too long).

  • 鞋买小了。

    Xié mǎi xiǎo le.

    I bought the shoes too small.

  • 我们来早了。

    Wǒmen lái zǎo le.

    We've come too early.

  • 这条裤子长了。

    Zhè tiáo kùzi cháng le.

    These trousers are too long.

Common mistakes

  • ✗我把门没关上。

    ✓我没把门关上。

    Wǒ méi bǎ mén guānshang.

    Negatives go before 把, not before the verb.

  • ✗他把这个句子翻译中文。

    ✓他把这个句子翻译成中文。

    Tā bǎ zhège jùzi fānyì chéng Zhōngwén.

    "Into" needs 成 after the verb.

  • ✗我把手机坏了。

    ✓我把手机弄坏了。

    Wǒ bǎ shǒujī nònghuài le.

    坏 is the result; it needs an action verb in front of it (弄, 摔, 用).

Questions learners ask

Is 买大了 the same as 买得太大了?

Yes in meaning. Verb + adjective + 了 is shorter and very common in speech.

Can I use both 把 and 被 in one sentence?

Occasionally, but it's heavy. Choose one: 我把杯子打破了 (I broke it) or 杯子被我打破了 (it got broken by me).

Practice this in lessons

The Independent Chinese lessons teach this step by step, with exercises and review built in.

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