English – Chinese 英汉 : Everyday language differences： how i learnt to use 把

Speakers of both Chinese and English will have common across conflicts in grammar and sentence structure between the two languages. To get over these conflicts, it is necessary to put extra effort to avoid direct translation and thus incorrect grammar and sentences in your second language.

One of the first examples I experienced and maybe the most famous grammar structure difference between Chinese is perhaps 把.

把：English explanation

把 is one of a few words in Chinese which does not have a corresponding English translation. It could be explained in English as a word to explain how the object that follows it is being manipulated and it is followed by what happened to that object. In English these sentences can be completed without the need for this word of manipulation.

Some examples of Chinese and English sentences with 把

1.       我把钥匙掉在地上

2.       我把水放在冰箱里

3.       您把护照给我看看

These sentences in English are structured very differently. It took me some time to get familiar with this 把 pattern in Chinese. The subject is always put before 把 and then the object, verb and the second action follow this. In English there is no need for 把。 The English translations are, I dropped my key on the floor, I put the water in the fridge, and  please let me check your passport. The object and the verb are placed the other way around in English. Because in Chinese you 把 the object, the order of the sentence changes.

For relative beginners of Chinese, it sounds complex and I was warned about this sentence pattern. However, a lot of practice will enable you to completely understand and use it fluently. I think of it as a manipulation of the object and then describing what you will do with that object.

But with no direct English translation for the word 把，it is perhaps so big surprise that so many foreigner students of Chinese do find this a slightly difficult sentence structure to pick up quickly, so 慢慢来！

Adam Horton