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HSK 4Grammar

The 把 Construction

Putting the object first to say what you do to it

S + 把 + Object + Verb + result

把 (bǎ) moves the object BEFORE the verb to emphasize what is done to it: moving, finishing, breaking... The verb cannot stand alone: it needs a complement (result, direction, 了...).

Subject + 把 + Object + Verb + complement
Close the door, please.
I have finished my homework.

When to use 把?

The object must be definite (known to both speakers) and the action must transform or move it. We do not use 把 with stative verbs or verbs of feeling (有, 是, 喜欢...).

Don't tell him this story.

All grammar lessons · HSK 4 vocabulary · Graded readings

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