The 把 Construction
把 moves the object before the verb to emphasize what happens to it. Structure: Subject + 把 + Object + Verb + Result/Direction/Duration.
把 requires: (a) the object must be definite/specific ("the X", not "a X"); (b) the verb must carry a complement — a bare verb alone after 把 is ungrammatical.
❌ 我把书看。(no complement — wrong)
✅ 我把书看完了。(看完 = finished reading)
To negate a 把-sentence, put 别/不要/没 directly BEFORE 把, never before the verb: ✅ 别把门关上。❌ 把门别关上。
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我把窗户打开了。 | Wǒ bǎ chuānghu dǎkāi le. | I opened the window. | Minimal 把 frame: definite object (窗户) + verb + directional/result complement (打开) + 了. |
| 请你把这些字写清楚。 | Qǐng nǐ bǎ zhèxiē zì xiě qīngchu. | Please write these characters clearly. | Imperative 把 with a descriptive result complement (清楚). |
| 妈妈把衣服洗了三遍。 | Māma bǎ yīfu xǐle sān biàn. | Mom washed the clothes three times. | A frequency complement (三遍) as the post-verbal result — 把 also works with quantity complements. |
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
What this opens up
These patterns list The 把 Construction among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
The same pattern at other levels
- 把-construction (disposal) — HSK 4
- 把-Sentences & Notional Passive — HSK 5
The 把 Construction is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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