把字句 (bǎ sentence) — 把 bǎ sentences — the disposal construction

把 sentences describe disposing of, handling, or affecting a definite object: the object is moved BEFORE the verb to emphasize what happened to it. English "I finished the homework" becomes 我把作业做完了 ("I took the homework and finished it"). The verb can never be bare — it needs a complement (完, 好, 到, a resultative) or 了. Only definite, specific objects work: say 我把这本书看完了, not 我把一本书看完了.

sentence-patternHSK 3Difficulty 70

Where it goes

Subject + 把 + Object + Verb + Complement/了

What it does

01Emphasizes the result or disposal of a definite object
02Required when the object is long or heavily modified
03Verb must be followed by something: result complement, 了, 着, or quantity

Common learner errors

⚠Using an indefinite object: 我把一个苹果吃了 ❌ → 我把那个苹果吃了 ✅
⚠Bare verb with nothing after it: 我把门开 ❌ → 我把门打开了 ✅
⚠Using 把 with verbs that don't act on objects (是, 有, 喜欢, 知道) ❌

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把字句 (bǎ sentence) — 把 bǎ sentences — the disposal construction