把 + Object + Verb + Result
Reach for this when you want to describe an action that DOES something specific to an object — moves it, finishes it, breaks it, fixes it. 'I washed the clothes CLEAN.' '把衣服洗干净了.' The object jumps in front of the verb, and the verb gets a result tag (干净, 完, 掉, 好, 在 + place) showing how the object ended up. Required, not optional, whenever you want to express disposal with a clear outcome.
Structure
[SUBJECT] 把 [OBJECT] [VERB] [RESULT]
bǎ [OBJECT] [VERB] [RESULT]
How to Think About It
把 is a flag that says 'this thing is about to get acted on — here's what happens to it.' Plain SVO ('我洗衣服') reports an activity; the 把 version ('我把衣服洗干净了') reports an outcome. That's why the result chunk is mandatory: a bare 把 sentence with no result feels like you cut yourself off mid-thought. If you can't say HOW the object ended up, don't use 把.
Examples
我把杯子打破了。
Wǒ bǎ bēizi dǎpò le.
I broke the cup.
请把门关上。
Qǐng bǎ mén guānshàng.
Please close the door.
他把书放在桌子上。
Tā bǎ shū fàng zài zhuōzi shàng.
He put the book on the table.
Common Mistake
Learners use 把 with a bare verb because they're translating from English ('I ate the apple'). In Chinese, '我把苹果吃' sounds broken — the listener is waiting for the consequence. Either drop 把 ('我吃了苹果') or add a result like 完, 掉, or 了.
我把作业写。
我把作业写完了。
Don't Confuse With
被 (passive)
把 puts the doer first ('I took the cup and broke it'). 被 puts the object first as the victim ('The cup was broken by me'). Same event, opposite spotlight.
Plain SVO (Subject + Verb + Object)
Use plain SVO when the action is generic or habitual ('I drink coffee'). Use 把 when you're disposing of a SPECIFIC object with a specific outcome ('I drank the coffee up').
把 + Object + Verb (no result)
Almost always wrong on its own. The 把 construction needs a result complement — a 了, a directional (上/下/进/出), a resultative (完/好/干净), or a destination phrase (在桌上).
Practice
请 ___ 窗户打开。
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把
我把饭吃 ___ 了。
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完
Put in order: [把 / 他 / 干净 / 房间 / 打扫 / 了]
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他把房间打扫干净了。
Translate to Chinese: 'She put the keys on the table.'
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她把钥匙放在桌子上。
Describe one thing you finished today using 把 + object + verb + result.
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Example answer: 我把作业写完了。 (I finished my homework.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 20 Fluentide episodes: