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Introducing “把” sentences

In this video, Dr Li will explain “把” sentence.
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They have put the couplets on the door. In Chinese, so we can say Tāmen bǎ chūnlián tiēzai qiáng /mén shang le.
27.2
Bǎ can be used in many different ways. But in this video, we will learn the many use of past sentences. Changes in object position.
40.3
Mama fàng xiézi. Xiézi zài guìzi li.
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Here the position of the shoes has changed. We can say, mama, bǎ xiézi fàngzai guìzi li.
56.3
More examples mama fàng huāpíng. Huāpíng zài guìzi shang.
64.9
We can say, mama bǎ huāpíng fàng zài guìzi shang.] The position of the huāpíng has changed. The sentence structure is subject plus bǎ plus object plus verb plus zài /dào plus position. Now look at the pictures. And use the bǎ to describe how Xixi moves her things.
98.8
Xīxi bǎ qiānbǐ fàngzai wénjùbāo li.
104.2
Xīxi bǎ lājī rēngdào lājītǒng li.
110.2
Xīxi bǎ huàr guàzai qiángshang.
114.3
Xīxi bǎ shū fàngzai zhuōzi shang.
120.9
Let’s listen to our dialogue to end the lesson. Wáng Xiǎobǎo,nǐde zhuōzi yǒudiǎnr luàn.wǒmen yìqǐ lái zhěnglǐ yíxià ba..
129.8
Hǎo a. Zhèr yǒu yíge bēizi. Nǐ bǎ bēizi fàngdào zhuōzi shang.
135.6
Hǎo de. Wǒ zài bǎ shū fàngdào chōuti li. Xièxie. Zhèyàng zhuōzi jiù gānjìng le.
144.2
The sentence structure is subject plus bǎ plus object plus the verb plus zài /dào plus position.
158.5
We have been studying Chinese grammar together for a month. Today, our grammar course comes to an end. Thank you for sticking with us through the course. I hope you guys will continue to learn and improve. zài jiàn

In this video we learn one of the usage of “把字句Ba-sentence”—changes in object position.

“把字句Ba-sentence”is a special sentence structure in Chinese. Look at the sentence:Mother puts the vase on the cupboard.

In Chinese we will say:
妈妈把花瓶放在柜子上。
Māma bǎ huāpíng fàng zài guìzi shang.

The position of the vase is changed by mother’s action,we must use “把字句”in Chinese. The sentence structure is:

S + 把 + O + V + 在/到 + Position

Notice that the subject here should be the something you have already known.

Some more examples:

西西把铅笔放在文具包里。
Xīxi bǎ qiānbǐ fàngzai wénjùbāo li.
Xixi put the pencil in her stationery bag.

西西把垃圾扔到垃圾桶里。
Xīxi bǎ lājī rēngdào lājītǒng li.
Xixi threw the rubbish into the trash can.

西西把画儿挂在墙上。
Xīxi bǎ huàr guàzai qiángshang.
Xixi hung the picture on the wall.

西西把书放在桌子上。
Xīxi bǎ shū fàngzai zhuōzi shang.
Xixi put the book on the table.

This is just one use of the “把字句”, and we will have chance learn other uses in the future.

The following is Chinese and English Version of Situational Dialogue in the Video:

西西:王小宝,你的桌子有点乱,我们一起来整理一下吧。

王小宝:好啊。这儿有一个杯子。你把杯子放到桌子上。

西西: 好的。我再把书放到抽屉里。

王小宝:谢谢。这样桌子就干净了。

Xīxī:Wang Xiaobao, your desk is a bit messy. Let’s tidy it up together.

Wáng Xiǎobǎo:Ok. Here is a cup. Please put the cup on the table.

Xīxī:Ok. Then I’ll put the books in the drawer.

Wáng Xiǎobǎo:Thank you. The table is clean.

© Shanghai International Studies University

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