把 + Verb + 在 / 到 / 给: placing, moving, handing over
特殊句型 / special sentence patterns
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
When an action moves an object to a place or hands it to someone, Chinese almost always uses 把:
- 把 + O + V + 在 + place: the object ends up there (放在桌子上).
- 把 + O + V + 到 + place: the object reaches a place (搬到新家).
- 把 + O + V + 给 + person: the object is given to someone (交给老师).
In English you just say "Put the keys on the table"; in Chinese ✗ 放钥匙在桌子上 is wrong → you need ✓ 把钥匙放在桌子上。
Examples
你把钥匙放在哪儿了？
Nǐ bǎ yàoshi fàng zài nǎr le?Where did you put the keys?
我们把沙发搬到客厅吧。
Wǒmen bǎ shāfā bāndào kètīng ba.Let's move the sofa into the living room.
请把这封信交给房东。
Qǐng bǎ zhè fēng xìn jiāogěi fángdōng.Please give this letter to the landlord.
他把车停在了楼下。
Tā bǎ chē tíng zài le lóu xià.He parked the car downstairs.
Common mistakes
✗ 我放书在桌子上。 → ✓ 我把书放在桌子上。
✗ 我把书放桌子。 → 在 and 上 are missing: ✓ 放在桌子上.
了 goes after the place or right after 在/到: 放在桌子上了 / 放在了桌子上, never between the verb and 在.