How to use 给
Subj. + 给 + Recipient + Verb Phrase
给 before a recipient identifies who benefits from an action. The following verb phrase tells what the subject does for that person, animal, or organization. This construction covers everyday services and favors, such as preparing something or helping with a practical task. 给 is functioning as a preposition here, rather than the main verb meaning give.
Put the beneficiary after 给 and the action after the complete 给 phrase. Any object of the action belongs with its verb. Modals and negative words generally precede the relevant verb phrase. Although 给 and 为 sometimes overlap, ordinary usage depends on the particular expression; do not assume every English phrase containing “for” uses the same Chinese preposition.
Examples with pinyin and English
给客人倒茶。
Pour tea for the guests.
妈妈在给孩子们做饭。
Mom cooks for the kids.
我儿子喜欢给小狗洗澡。
My son likes giving our dog a bath.
请给我拿一双筷子。
Please get a pair of chopsticks for me.
What to remember
- Place the beneficiary immediately after 给.
- Keep the action’s object with its verb.
- Learn 给 and 为 through common combinations.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.