lesson 6 part 1

Lesson 6, Pattern 1: gei `給` as a preposition
last revised January 9, 2004

我給他打了電話。 I called him on the phone.

You have already learned 給 as a verb, meaning "to give (somebody something)." 給can also be used as a preposition (in some systems of grammar, the prepositional 給 is called a coverb because it still retains some features of a verb). Its meaning as a preposition is an extension of the idea of giving: it means to do something for someone, on that person's behalf. In such cases, the expression is known as a "benefactive phrase." 給 can also mean to cause or allow someone to do something. When used as a preposition with a noun or pronoun, the whole phrase can be considered an adverbial and comes before the verb. If the aspect particle is used, 了 comes after the last verb in the series, while in negative sentences, 不 or 沒 comes before 給rather than before the main verb. When used with an auxiliary verb such as 想, the auxiliary verb also comes before 給. If there is a 在-phrase, it comes before the 給-phrase. Here is the basic pattern with some variations:

S - 給 - Personal Noun/Pronoun - Verb - Object
S - 不/沒 - 給- Personal Noun/Pronoun - Verb - Object
S - Auxiliary Verb - 給- Personal Noun/Pronoun - Verb - Object
S - 在 - Place - 給 - Personal Noun/Pronoun - Verb - Object

Pattern	Chinese	English
basic pattern S-`給`N-V-O	`昨天上午我給他打了電話。`	I phoned him yesterday morning.
basic pattern S-`給`N-V-O	`王老師給學生介紹他的朋友。`	Teacher Wang introduced his friend to the students.
negative S-`不`-`給`N-V-O S-`沒`-`給`N-V-O	`現在他不給我打電話了。`	Now he doesn't call me anymore. (Note: here `了 indicates a change of state.)`
negative S-`不`-`給`N-V-O S-`沒`-`給`N-V-O	`昨天晚上媽媽沒給我們做飯。`	Last night, Mom didn't cook for us.
with other adverbs S-Adv-`給`N-V-O	`高小音也給她的男朋友打電話。`	Gao Xiaoyin also called her boyfriend.
with other adverbs S-Adv-`給`N-V-O	`他們都給醫生打電話。`	They all phoned the doctor.
with auxiliary verb S-AV-`給`N-V-O	`現在我要給我先生打電話。`	I am going to call my husband now.
	`白小姐喜歡給她妹妹做飯。`	Miss Bai likes to cook for her younger sister.
	`張先生得給他太太做飯。`	Mr. Zhang must cook for his wife.
negative with auxiliary verb S-`不`-AV-`給`N-V-O	`我不想給你看我的書。`	I don't want to let you read my book.
negative with auxiliary verb S-`不`-AV-`給`N-V-O	`小王不喜歡給他的同學做飯。`	Little Wang doesn't like cooking for his classmates.
with`在` S-`在`N-`給`N-V-O `在`N-S-`給`N-V-O	`在圖書館我給你介紹我的朋友。`	In the library, I'll introduce you to my friend.

Note: You may run across a sentence with the 給-phrase after the main verb. There are two possible cases.

A sentence pattern that looks quite similar is S-V(O)1-V(O)2 where the second verb or verb-object combination indicates the purpose of the first action. The second verb might be 給 used as a verb meaning "to give." In 我做中國飯給你 the sentence literally means, "I'll make Chinese food to give you." 我買東西給你 means "I'll buy something to give to you," in contrast with 我給你買東西, which has two possible meanings: "I'll buy something on your behalf (you might be paying, but I'm doing the shopping)" or "I'll buy something for you (I'm doing both shopping and paying)."
In Cantonese, the 給-phrase used as an adverbial is often put after the verb, so some Cantonese-speakers retain that word order when speaking Mandarin as well. This forms an acceptable variation, but in standard Mandarin the 給-phrase is most often found before the verb.


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Lesson 6, Pattern 1: gei 給 as a preposition last revised January 9, 2004

Lesson 6, Pattern 1: gei `給` as a preposition
last revised January 9, 2004