把
particle marking the object; to hold; MW for objects with handles
bǎ
What does 把 mean?
把 (bǎ) has three distinct uses, all at HSK 3. Most importantly, it is a grammatical particle that fronts the object of a verb to emphasize what is DONE to it: 我把门关上 ('I closed the door' — literally 'I take the door and close it'). The pattern is Subject + 把 + Object + Verb + result/complement, and it requires (a) a specific, known object and (b) a verb that produces a clear result, change, or location. English has no equivalent — you must restructure the sentence.
Second, 把 is a measure word for objects with handles: 一把刀 (a knife), 一把椅子 (a chair), 一把伞 (an umbrella). Third, as a verb 把 means 'to hold / grasp' in compounds like 把手 ('handle'). Skipping 把 when you need it produces ungrammatical Chinese, so beginners must learn the pattern.
Note: The 把 construction (called the 'ba sentence') is neutral and extremely common in both spoken and written Mandarin. It is required whenever you specify what HAPPENS to a definite object — there is often no good alternative word order.
Character breakdown
to grasp; particle; MW for handled objects
Memory hook: Picture a hand 'grabbing' the object and moving it in front of the verb — that's exactly what 把 does grammatically.
Example sentences
请把窗户打开。
Qǐng bǎ chuānghu dǎkāi.
Please open the window.
polite
我把作业做完了。
Wǒ bǎ zuòyè zuò wán le.
I finished the homework.
neutral
他把钱包忘在出租车上了。
Tā bǎ qiánbāo wàng zài chūzūchē shàng le.
He left his wallet in the taxi.
spoken
我买了一把新雨伞。
Wǒ mǎi le yì bǎ xīn yǔsǎn.
I bought a new umbrella.
spoken
把灯关了，我要睡觉。
Bǎ dēng guān le, wǒ yào shuìjiào.
Turn off the light — I want to sleep.
spoken
Common phrases with 把
Synonyms
将 is the formal, written equivalent of 把 and appears in news, contracts, and literary Chinese: 将文件交给他 ('hand the document to him'). In speech, always use 把.
Don't confuse 把 with
把 and 被 are mirror images. 我把杯子打破了 ('I broke the cup' — active, focus on actor doing something) vs 杯子被我打破了 ('the cup was broken by me' — passive, focus on what happened). Same event, opposite framing.
把 (bǎ) and 爸 (bà) look similar and are pronounced almost identically, but 爸 means 'father.' Don't write 把爸 mixed up.