把 Structure
Reach for this when an action does something specific to a specific object — moves it, changes it, finishes it, puts it somewhere. The 把 construction fronts the object so the verb can carry a result, direction, or outcome. 'Put the book on the table,' 'wash the dishes clean,' 'eat the apple up.' Without 把, the sentence still works grammatically but feels less deliberate, less focused on what happened TO the object. Neutral register, used constantly in everyday speech and writing.
Structure
Subject + 把 + Object + Verb + Result/Direction/Complement
bǎ [OBJECT] [VERB]...
How to Think About It
把 is a spotlight, not a verb. It picks up the object and holds it in front of the verb so the listener knows 'THIS thing is the one getting acted on.' The verb then has to deliver something — a result (洗干净), a direction (放到桌上), a duration (看了三遍). A bare verb after 把 ('我把书看') sounds incomplete; the listener is waiting for 'and then what?' The object must be definite — a specific one both speakers know about, not 'a book' in general.
Examples
我把书放在桌子上了。
Wǒ bǎ shū fàng zài zhuōzi shàng le.
I put the book on the table.
他把饭吃完了。
Tā bǎ fàn chī wán le.
He finished eating the food.
请把门关上。
Qǐng bǎ mén guān shàng.
Please close the door.
Common Mistake
Learners use 把 with a bare verb and no result, producing sentences that feel cut off. The 把 construction demands a complement after the verb — even a simple 了 + result like 完, 好, or a directional phrase fixes it.
我把作业做。
我把作业做完了。
Don't Confuse With
被 + Agent + Verb
Passive — focuses on what HAPPENED TO the object. 把 keeps the subject in charge and acting.
把...当成...
Special 把 case where the verb is always 当成. Use the generic 把 structure when any other verb and result is involved.
SVO without 把
Default word order, fine for general statements ('I read the book'). Switch to 把 when there's a definite object AND a specific result you want to spotlight.
Practice
Fill in: 请____窗户打开。
Show answer
把
Fill in: 我把作业做____了。
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完
Arrange: 桌子上 / 我 / 把 / 放在 / 钥匙 / 了
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我把钥匙放在桌子上了。
Translate to Chinese: He washed the clothes clean.
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他把衣服洗干净了。
Write a sentence with 把 about an action you finished today, including a result.
Show answer
我把这本书看完了。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 2 Fluentide episodes: