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- Topic: Chinese >
- "我把灯关了。"
"我把灯关了。"
Translation:I turned off the light.
15 Comments
I think that is ending a sentence with a preposition, which should be avoided in formal speech.
185
No. It's an adverbial particle in this usage and part of the phrasal verb "to turn off". Many words have not just multiple senses, but multiple parts of speech. You can tell the difference if the sentence still retains part of its meaning by removing the suspected prepositional phrase:
- He fell off the cliff -> He fell
- He turned off the light -> He turned?
Read the explanation of the use of 把 here! Basically, it's a way to change the structure of a Chinese sentence. https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_%22ba%22_sentences
- 823
Thank you. I don't 100% get it, but that's MUCH more clear than Duolingo's mouseover hints made it.
If you already know how to use passive voice with 被, it's essentially the same thing, but the subject and object are in the normal order. 把 simply emphasizes the relationship between the subject and object instead of the verb. I am 把 something verb.
The way I learned it was similar to "I take something and do something with it"
我把灯关了 (I take the light and turn it off) I turn off the light/I turn the light off
我把我的想法写下来 (I take my thoughts and write them down) I write down my thoughts
你可以把那个肉给我吗？ (Can you take that meat and give it to me?) Could you pass the meat?
I've been trying to understand this structure for so long and I have to say that "I take something and do something with it" just made it so much clearer for me! Thank you for this!!
"Turn(ed) out the light(s)" is a common phrasing in some locations - certainly not as common as "turn off" but should still be accepted.
- 276
Ba indicates the word have, so by my understanding it should be I have turned off the light.
