给
to give; for; to (someone)
gěi
What does 给 mean?
给 (gěi) means 'to give,' but it does much more work than the English verb. Three jobs to know: (1) main verb 'give' — 我给你一本书 (I give you a book); (2) preposition 'for / to (someone)' before another verb — 我给你打电话 (I'll call you, lit. 'I, for you, make a call'); (3) passive marker similar to 被 in colloquial speech — 杯子给打破了 (the cup got broken). The preposition use trips up English speakers because 给 comes BEFORE the main verb, not after: it's 我给妈妈做饭 (I cook for mom), never the English order. 给 is also pronounced jǐ in formal compounds like 供给 (gōngjǐ, supply) and 给予 (jǐyǔ, to grant) — but in everyday Mandarin, gěi is the only reading you need.
Note: Everyday word in both speech and writing. Very polite contexts may upgrade to 送 (sòng, give as a gift) or 递 (dì, hand over).
Character breakdown
to give; for (silk radical 纟on the left, 合 'join' on the right — historically tied to handing over silk/goods)
Memory hook: Think 'GAY-ve' — 给 sounds a bit like 'give' and means exactly that.
Example sentences
请给我一杯水。
Qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi shuǐ.
Please give me a glass of water.
polite
我晚上给你打电话。
Wǒ wǎnshang gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.
I'll call you tonight.
spoken
这是妈妈给我买的。
Zhè shì māma gěi wǒ mǎi de.
This is what mom bought for me.
neutral
他给了我一本中文书。
Tā gěi le wǒ yì běn Zhōngwén shū.
He gave me a Chinese book.
neutral
你能给我介绍一下吗？
Nǐ néng gěi wǒ jièshào yíxià ma?
Could you give me an introduction (to it)?
polite
Common phrases with 给
Synonyms
送 means 'give as a gift' or 'see someone off.' Use 送 when there's no expectation of return; use 给 for any neutral handing-over. 我送你一本书 = I'm gifting you a book; 我给你一本书 = I'm passing you a book.
递 means 'pass / hand over,' usually across a short distance. 给 is general; 递 emphasizes the physical act — 把盐递给我 (pass me the salt).
为 also means 'for (someone's sake),' but is more formal/written. 我为你做的 sounds bookish; 我给你做的 sounds natural in speech.
Don't confuse 给 with
跟 means 'with / follow' — 跟我来 (come with me). 给 means 'give / for.' Beginners mix up 给 and 跟 because both can introduce a person before a verb, but 跟 = together, 给 = to/for.
和 ('and / with') connects two nouns or expresses 'together with.' 给 transfers something to someone. 我和你去 = you and I go; 我给你 = I give to you.
对 ('toward / to') also points an action at someone — 对我说 (say to me). 给 transfers a thing or a service; 对 directs speech or attitude toward someone.