Chinese Multimedia

Grammar Notes for lesson 21

The 把 bǎ  construction

The 把 bǎ  construction is used to indicate what one does to a particular object, or how one does it. Verbs used in the 把 bǎ  construction take complex forms, and are verbs of action attached to resultative words, directional words or other elements. The attached elements refer to the direct object of the sentence. For instance, in 我 把 酒 喝 完了wǒ bǎ jiǔ hē wán le I finished the wine the resultative word finish refers to the wine, but not to the action of drinking. I finished drinking would be expressed by the simple utterance 我 喝 完 酒 了wǒ hē wán jiǔ le.