{"id":12573,"date":"2016-10-03T09:00:30","date_gmt":"2016-10-03T13:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=12573"},"modified":"2016-09-29T13:06:40","modified_gmt":"2016-09-29T17:06:40","slug":"how-to-use-the-ba-structure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/how-to-use-the-ba-structure\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use the \u628a Structure"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’ve been studying Chinese for a while, chances are you’ve encountered the dreaded\u00a0\u628a (b\u01ce) structure by now. This has no equivalent in English, but it’s extremely common in Chinese and thus critical to learn. To help clear the air, here’s a short, basic guide to this important structure in Chinese grammar.<\/p>\n

What is the\u00a0\u628a Structure?<\/h2>\n

Just like in English, the basic word order for a sentence in Chinese is:\u00a0Subject – Verb – Object<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

\u6211\u5403\u997a\u5b50 (w\u01d2 ch\u012b ji\u01ceo zi)
\nI eat dumplings.<\/h3>\n
\"Mmm....<\/a>

Mmm…. dumplings.<\/p><\/div>\n

When using\u00a0\u628a, the word order of a sentence totally changes: Subject –\u00a0\u628a – Object – Verb<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

\u6211\u628a\u997a\u5b50\u5403\u4e86 (w\u01d2 b\u01ce ji\u01ceo zi ch\u012b le)
\nI ate the dumplings.<\/h3>\n

We now have a Subject-Object-Verb order, with\u00a0\u628a coming before the object. As you may have guessed, this structure is used to place emphasis on the object and what is done with it. What happened to the dumplings in the example above? They got eaten<\/em>, of course, because dumplings are amazing<\/a>. There has to be some sort of action taken on the object – it gets used, affected, or changed. Therefore, some verbs can’t be used with this structure. We’re not trying to get into the nitty gritty today, though – just trying to introduce this important structure and give you a basic understanding.<\/p>\n

Uses of\u00a0\u628a<\/h2>\n

There are many ways you can use this structure. Let’s take a look at some of the most common:<\/p>\n

\u628a \uff0b \u5230 (d\u00e0o): indicates that the object has arrived somewhere<\/h3>\n

\u6211\u628a\u8fd9\u5f20\u8868\u9001\u5230\u529e\u516c\u5ba4
\nw\u01d2 b\u01ce zh\u00e8 zh\u0101ng bi\u01ceo s\u00f2ng d\u00e0o b\u00e0n g\u014dng sh\u00ec
\nI\u00a0delivered this form to the office.<\/h4>\n

\n\u628a \uff0b \u5728 (z\u00e0i): indicates that the object stands somewhere<\/h3>\n

\u6211\u628a\u81ea\u884c\u8f66\u653e\u5728\u697c\u4e0b\u4e86
\nw\u01d2 b\u01ce z\u00ec x\u00edng ch\u0113 f\u00e0ng z\u00e0i l\u00f3u xi\u00e0 le
\nI put the bike downstairs.<\/h4>\n

\n\u628a \uff0b \u7ed9 (g\u011bi): indicates that the object has been given<\/h3>\n

\u8bf7\u628a\u8fd9\u4e2a\u6587\u4ef6\u4ea4\u7ed9\u8001\u677f
\nq\u01d0ng b\u01ce zh\u00e8 ge w\u00e9n ji\u00e0n ji\u0101o g\u011bi l\u01ceo b\u01cen
\nPlease send this file to the boss.<\/h4>\n

\n\u628a \uff0b \u6210 (ch\u00e9ng): indicates that the object has been changed<\/h3>\n

\u4ed6\u628a\u8fd9\u7bc7\u6587\u7ae0\u7ffb\u8bd1\u6210\u82f1\u6587
\nt\u0101 b\u01ce zh\u00e8 pi\u0101n w\u00e9n zh\u0101ng f\u0101n y\u00ec ch\u00e9ng y\u012bng w\u00e9n
\nHe translated this article into English.<\/h4>\n

We could get more in-depth and talk about negative statements and asking questions, but just focus on the basics for now and try using\u00a0\u628a in the ways listed above. As you get more comfortable with this structure, you can\u00a0dive a bit deeper. Here’s a great introductory video from the Chinese Grammar Viki page on YouTube so you can actually hear some examples:<\/p>\n