把 (disposal construction)

• 拼音: bǎ
• 结构: Subject + 把 + Object + Verb Phrase (with complement/result)
• 汉字拆解: 把 = 扌(hand) + 巴 (cling to)

含义

The 把 (bǎ) construction is used to move the object before the verb, emphasizing what happens to the object as a result of the action. It highlights the disposal, handling, or effect on the object rather than the action itself.

The 把 construction is one of the most important and distinctive features of Chinese grammar. It restructures the basic SVO order into S + 把 + O + VP, placing emphasis on how the object is affected or disposed of. The verb in a 把 sentence must express some kind of result, change, or completion — bare verbs without a complement are generally not acceptable. Common verb complements include resultative complements (把门关上), directional complements (把书拿过来), and 了 (把作业做完了). The 把 construction cannot be used with verbs of perception (看, 听), cognition (知道, 觉得), or stative verbs (是, 像). It is often compared with the passive 被 construction — 把 focuses on the agent's handling of the object, while 被 focuses on the object being affected.

例句

1. 请你把窗户关上。
2. 他把那本书放在桌子上了。
3. 妈妈让我把房间打扫干净。

用法指南

语境: spoken, written, everyday

语气: direct

正确说法

• 请把门关好再走。
• 她把所有的衣服都洗了。
• 老师让学生把课文读一遍。
• 你能不能把声音关小一点？

错误说法

• 我把这首歌听了。(把 requires the verb to express a result or change to the object — 听 alone does not indicate disposal; use 听完 or 听了三遍) → 我把这首歌听完了。
• 他把她很漂亮。(把 cannot be used with adjectives or stative verbs — it requires an action verb with a result) → 他觉得她很漂亮。
• 我把他是老师知道了。(把 cannot be used with 是 or cognitive verbs like 知道 — these do not express disposal of an object) → 我知道他是老师了。

起源与历史

The character 把 originally meant 'to grasp' or 'to hold' (扌= hand + 巴 = cling to). Its grammatical function as an object-fronting marker developed during the Tang Dynasty, evolving from a full verb into a grammatical particle that indicates disposal of an object.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal