Chinese Conversation · Level 3
86 words
Chinese word
给
Pronunciation
Pinyingěi
Meaning
- verbgive
Example
我给你这本书。wǒ gěi nǐ zhè běn shū
I give you this book.
More examples
她把礼物给了妈妈。tā bǎ lǐ wù gěi le mā mā
She gave the present to her mother.
Core concept
Carries a thing or benefit from a giver to a receiver, while also linking an action to its receiver.
Common phrases
给我gěi wǒ
give me
给你gěi nǐ
give you
给妈妈gěi mā mā
give mother
Similar words
送sòng: Give an item to someone as a present.
带dài: Take a person or thing with you to another place.
Definition in Chinese
把物品或抽象事物交给别人，也可用作表示受益者或接受对象的介词。bǎ wù pǐn huò chōu xiàng shì wù jiāo gěi bié rén yě kě yòng zuò biǎo shì shòu yì zhě huò jiē shòu duì xiàng de jiè cí
Word origin
给 (gěi, "give") grew from an older sense of supplying or providing something, which connects handing something over with marking the person who receives it.
Usage tips
- English often puts the object before its receiver, but Chinese commonly puts the receiver after this word and before the object.
Other meanings
- handverb
- topreposition
Opposites
- 收shōureceiveverb