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给 — to, for, and give
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A birthday call
- It is your grandmother's birthday. You phone her and buy her a small present.
- I我to给grandma奶奶phone打电话，also也to给she / her她to buy买(completed / change)了one, a一(measure word)个gift礼物。 — "I phoned Grandma and bought her a present."
to给 + person + verb
- to给 before a person shows who receives the action: to给grandma奶奶phone打电话, phone Grandma; to给I我to write a letter写信, write to me.
- to给 + person comes before the verb, not after it as in English.
I我to给grandma奶奶phone打电话。
Complete: “I phone Grandma.” 我____奶奶打电话。
Difficulté 1/5 · 100 pièces + un petit bonus lors de la première réussite aujourd'hui
给 + person comes before the verb to show who receives the call.
to给 as a verb: to give
- On its own, to给 means “give”: he他to给I我one, a一(measure word)本book书。 — "He gives me a book." The person comes first, then the thing.
- Ask with who谁: you你to给who谁to buy买(modifier / structural particle)的？ — "Who did you buy it for?"
he他give给me我a一(measure word)本book书。
他给我一本书 can mean “He gives me a book.”
Difficulté 1/5 · 100 pièces + un petit bonus lors de la première réussite aujourd'hui
True. On its own, 给 is the verb “give”, followed by the person and then the thing.
Build: “Who did you buy it for?”
Difficulté 3/5 · 200 pièces + un petit bonus lors de la première réussite aujourd'hui
给 + 谁 comes before the verb to ask who benefits.
Doing something for someone
- to给 can mean “for (someone's benefit)”: mama妈妈to给I我to prepare a meal做饭。 — "Mum cooks for me."
- With negatives and want / think / miss想/want / will / need要, put them before to给: I我not不to给he他phone打电话, I'm not phoning him; I我want / think / miss想to给she / her她买花, I want to buy her flowers.
Watch out
- English puts “to Grandma” after the verb. The basic Chinese order puts to给 + person before it: to给grandma奶奶phone打电话, not phone打电话grandma奶奶.
- not不, not / haven't没, want / think / miss想 and want / will / need要 come before to给, not before the main verb: I我not / haven't没to给he他to write a letter写信.
Which says “I didn’t write to him”?
Difficulté 1/5 · 100 pièces + un petit bonus lors de la première réussite aujourd'hui
The negative 没 goes before 给, not before the main verb.
Recap
- to给 + person + verb = do something to/for someone: to给grandma奶奶phone打电话, to给I我to prepare a meal做饭.
- to给 + person + thing = give someone something. not不/not / haven't没/want / think / miss想/want / will / need要 go before to给.
Tell a friend what you did for your family last weekend and one thing you want to do for a friend. Close the examples. Say it, then write it in Chinese.
Compare meaning and word order with the model; your sentences need not copy it. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken version to comment on pronunciation.