把 (bǎ) Sentence Structure
Reach for the 把 sentence whenever you want to talk about WHAT HAPPENED to a specific, known thing — not just an action, but the action plus its outcome. You move the object out from after the verb, put it after 把, and then load the verb with a result, direction, or location. It's the structure Chinese uses for 'put X on the table,' 'finish the meal,' 'take the trash out,' 'open the door' — actions that produce a clear effect on a definite object.
Structure
[SUBJECT] 把 [OBJECT] [VERB] [RESULT/DIRECTION/LOCATION]
[SUBJECT] bǎ [OBJECT] [VERB] [RESULT]
How to Think About It
把 grabs a known object and drags it in front of the verb so the speaker can describe its fate. Three things follow: the object must be specific (the book, my keys — not 'a book'), the verb must be transitive and active, and the verb cannot stand bare — it needs a tail (了, 完, 在桌子上, 出来). The 把 sentence is about outcomes; if your verb has no outcome, don't use 把.
Examples
他把杯子打破了。
Tā bǎ bēizi dǎ pò le.
He broke the cup.
我把作业写完了。
Wǒ bǎ zuòyè xiě wán le.
I finished the homework.
请把这本书还给图书馆。
Qǐng bǎ zhè běn shū huán gěi túshūguǎn.
Please return this book to the library.
Common Mistake
Learners write 把 sentences with a bare verb, mimicking English 'I put the book.' Chinese 把 sentences require something after the verb — a result, direction, location, or at minimum 了 with context. A bare verb sounds chopped off to native ears.
我把车开。
我把车开走了。
Don't Confuse With
被 (passive)
Same event seen from the object's side. 把 keeps the actor as subject ('I broke the cup'); 被 puts the object as subject ('the cup was broken'). Pick based on what you want to highlight.
S + V + O (plain sentence)
Plain order works for general statements ('I read books'). Switch to 把 only when the object is specific AND you want to focus on the result that hit it.
将 + Object + Verb + Result
Formal twin of 把. Identical grammar; 将 belongs in news, legal text, and announcements. In speech and casual writing, always 把.
Practice
你 ___ 钥匙放在哪儿了？
Show answer
把
妈妈把碗洗 ___。
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干净了
Put in order: [把 / 他 / 关 / 电视 / 了]
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他把电视关了。
Translate to Chinese: 'Please open the window.'
Show answer
请把窗户打开。
Write one 把 sentence about an everyday action you completed.
Show answer
Example answer: 我把咖啡喝完了。 (I finished the coffee.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 把 (bǎ) Sentence Structure in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.