Pivot Sentences: 叫/让/请+someone+V
A pivot sentence has one noun that is the object of the first verb and also the subject of the second, as in 妈妈叫我回家. At HSK 3 the first verb is 叫 (tell), 让 (let, make), 请 (invite) or 派 (send).
叫/让 (jiào/ràng) — "tell/have someone do..." 老师叫他回答问题。/ 妈妈让我洗碗。(让 is slightly softer/more permission-based than 叫.)
请 (qǐng) — "invite/ask (politely)..." 我们请老师来吃饭。
派 (pài) — "send/dispatch (officially)..." 公司派他去北京出差。
Contrast: 请 = polite invitation; 叫/让 = direct instruction or permission; 派 = official assignment by an organization, not a personal request.
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 老师叫他回答问题。 | Lǎoshī jiào tā huídá wèntí. | The teacher told him to answer the question. | Minimal pivot frame — 他 is both the object of 叫 and the subject of 回答. |
| 我们想请王教授来做讲座。 | Wǒmen xiǎng qǐng Wáng jiàoshòu lái zuò jiǎngzuò. | We'd like to invite Professor Wang to give a lecture. | 请 for a polite invitation, with a longer verb phrase (来做讲座) as Verb2. |
| 公司决定派小李去上海开一家新的分店。 | Gōngsī juédìng pài Xiǎo Lǐ qù Shànghǎi kāi yì jiā xīn de fēndiàn. | The company decided to send Xiao Li to Shanghai to open a new branch. | 派 for an official organizational assignment, with an extended purpose clause. |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
叫 (jiào)
Tells or asks someone to do something.
Structure: Subject + 叫 + person + verb phrase
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 妈妈叫我早点睡觉。 | Mā mā jiào wǒ zǎo diǎn shuì jiào. | Mum told me to go to bed earlier. |
| 老板叫小王去买咖啡。 | Lǎo bǎn jiào xiǎo wáng qù mǎi kā fēi. | The boss told Xiao Wang to go and buy coffee. |
| 医生叫他多喝水。 | Yī shēng jiào tā duō hē shuǐ. | The doctor told him to drink more water. |
Not: 老师叫回答问题他。 The person comes right after 叫: 老师叫他回答问题.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, special sentence patterns (兼语句); level 4, prepositions (引出施事、受事); level 5, special sentence patterns (被动句).
叫 is also explained in: Passive Constructions: 被, 叫, 让 (HSK 3) · 使/让/叫 pivot-causative sentences (HSK 4).
让 (ràng)
Lets or makes someone do something, or makes someone feel something.
Structure: Subject + 让 + person + verb / adjective
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这件事让我很生气。 | Zhè jiàn shì ràng wǒ hěn shēng qì. | This matter makes me very angry. |
| 老师让我们先预习新课。 | Lǎo shī ràng wǒ men xiān yù xí xīn kè. | The teacher had us preview the new lesson first. |
| 爸爸不让我晚上出去玩。 | Bà bà bú ràng wǒ wǎn shàng chū qù wán. | Dad does not let me go out to play at night. |
Not: 爸爸让我不出去玩。 To say someone does not allow it, put 不 before 让: 爸爸不让我出去玩.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, fixed patterns; level 4, prepositions (引出施事、受事).
让 is also explained in: Passive Constructions: 被, 叫, 让 (HSK 3) · 被-construction (passive) (HSK 4) · 使/让/叫 pivot-causative sentences (HSK 4) · Serial Verb & Pivotal Constructions (HSK 5).
请 (qǐng)
Invites or politely asks someone to do something.
Structure: Subject + 请 + person + verb phrase
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我想请你吃饭。 | Wǒ xiǎng qǐng nǐ chī fàn. | I would like to invite you for a meal. |
| 明天请大家带一本书来。 | Míng tiān qǐng dà jiā dài yì běn shū lái. | Please bring a book tomorrow, everyone. |
| 老师请他读课文。 | Lǎo shī qǐng tā dú kè wén. | The teacher asked him to read the text. |
Not: 我请吃饭你。 The person comes right after 请, before the verb: 我请你吃饭.
请 is also explained in: Serial Verb & Pivotal Constructions (HSK 5).
派 (pài)
Sends someone off to do a task.
Structure: Subject + 派 + person + verb phrase
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 公司派他去北京出差。 | Gōng sī pài tā qù běi jīng chū chāi. | The company is sending him to Beijing on business. |
| 学校派了两位老师去参加比赛。 | Xué xiào pài le liǎng wèi lǎo shī qù cān jiā bǐ sài. | The school sent two teachers to take part in the contest. |
| 经理派小张去机场接客人。 | Jīng lǐ pài xiǎo zhāng qù jī chǎng jiē kè rén. | The manager sent Xiao Zhang to the airport to meet the guests. |
Not: 公司派去出差他。 The person comes right after 派: 公司派他去出差.
Compared side by side: 叫 vs 让.
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 Pivot Sentences among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about Pivot Sentences
What does 兼语句 (Pivot Sentences) mean in Chinese?
A pivot sentence has one noun that is the object of the first verb and also the subject of the second, as in 妈妈叫我回家. At HSK 3 the first verb is 叫 (tell), 让 (let, make), 请 (invite) or 派 (send). It is an HSK 3 grammar point.
How do you use 兼语句 (Pivot Sentences) in a sentence?
老师叫他回答问题。 — Lǎoshī jiào tā huídá wèntí. — The teacher told him to answer the question. Minimal pivot frame — 他 is both the object of 叫 and the subject of 回答.
What do you need to know before 兼语句 (Pivot Sentences)?
Serial Verb Sentences (HSK 2). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
What does 兼语句 (Pivot Sentences) lead to?
使/让/叫 pivot-causative sentences (HSK 4). Each of them names 兼语句 (Pivot Sentences) among its own prerequisites.
What is a pivot sentence?
It is a sentence where one noun is both the object of the first verb and the subject of the second. In 老师叫他回答问题, 他 is told by the teacher and also does the answering.
What is the difference between 叫 and 让?
Both can mean ask someone to do something. 让 also means let or make, and a thing can be its subject: 这件事让我高兴. 叫 mostly means tell someone to do something.
Pivot Sentences 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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