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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'to give' with 给 (gěi) as a verb

    Actions & Events
    Direction & Movement

    Structure

    Subject + 给 + Recipient + Object

    Explanation

    给 (gěi) as a main verb means "to give." It is one of the most fundamental verbs in Chinese, used to express the transfer of an object from one person to another. The typical structure places the recipient before the object being given.

    Examples

    • 妈妈给了我一本新书。

      Māma gěi le wǒ yì běn xīn shū.

      Mom gave me a new book.

    • 老师给每个学生一次发言的机会。

      Lǎoshī gěi měi gè xuéshēng yí cì fāyán de jīhuì.

      The teacher gave each student a chance to speak.

    • 他给我两张电影票。

      Tā gěi wǒ liǎng zhāng diànyǐng piào.

      He gave me two movie tickets.

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