How to use 给
Subject + Verb + 给 + Recipient + Object; Object + Subject + Verb + 给 + Recipient
Some verbs naturally combine with a following 给 to introduce the recipient. This is especially common with actions of transferring or delivering something. State the action, add 给 and the recipient, then include the transferred object when the chosen verb pattern allows it. The 给 phrase identifies where the benefit or object is directed.
An already established object can instead appear earlier as the topic, leaving the verb and recipient together later in the clause. Other transfer constructions place 给 after the object, and familiar combinations should be learned individually. The key distinction from preverbal 给 is its position relative to the action. Do not assume every verb permits all recipient arrangements equally naturally.
Examples with pinyin and English
昨天有人送给我一束花。
Yesterday someone gave me a bouquet of flowers.
请递给我一盒纸巾。
Please pass me a box of tissues.
这是我们送给你的生日礼物。
This is your birthday present from us.
这本书是谁借给你的？
Who lent you this book?
What to remember
- Learn verbs that allow a following 给.
- 给 introduces the recipient, not the transferred object.
- An established object may be placed first.
Practise the pattern
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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.