他tā 打dă 破pò 杯bēi 子zi 。v.s. 他tā 把bă 杯bēi 子zi 打dă 破pò 了le 。

He broke the glass (cup).

打dă 破pò is to break something into pieces, usually unintentionally.

杯bēi 子zi is glass or cup (both are the same in Chinese)

Although these two sentences mean the same thing that ‘He broke the glass (cup); ‘, the emphasis is different.  The 把bă sentence pattern emphasizes: Something has been changed or influenced by an action. Therefore the result is the ‘key point’.

The 把bă sentence patter is:

Subject + 把bă + object + result

他tā 把bă 桌zhuō 子zi 搬bān 到dào 房fáng 里lǐ 。He has moved the desk/ table into the room.

我wǒ 把bă 蛋dàn 糕gāo 切qiē 成chéng 12片piàn 。I have cut the cake into 12 pieces.

儿ér 子zi 把bă 屋wū 子zi 打dă 扫săo 得de 乾gān 乾gān 净jìng 净jìng 。(My/ Our) Son has cleaned the room (not just cleaned, thoroughly cleaned).

请qǐng 你nǐ 把bă 报bào 纸zhǐ 还huán 给gěi 我wǒ 。 Please give the newspaper back to me.

The common mistakes you might see:

他tā 放fàng 那nà 本běn 书shū 在zài 桌zhuō 上shàng 。 It should be: 他tā 把bă 那nà 本běn 书shū 放fàng 在zài 桌zhuō 上shàng 。(He put the book on the table/desk.)

他tā 把bă 这zhè 封fēng 信xìn 写xiě 了le 。 It should be: 他tā 把bă 这zhè 封fēng 信xìn 写xiě 好hăo 了le 。(He has finished writing the letter.) It needs the result 好hăo (finished).

别bié 忘wàng 了le 把bă 照zhào 相xiàng 机jī 带dài 。 It should be: 别bié 忘wàng 了le 把bă 照zhào 相xiàng 机jī 带dài  来lái 。(Don’t forget to bring the camera over.) It needs the result 来lái (over here).

他tā 不bù 能néng 开kāi 车chē  。v.s.

他tā 不bú 会huì 开kāi 车chē 。

Both sentences mean ‘He cannot drive’, but 不bù 能néng indicates that there is a condition which causes the result that ‘he cannot drive’. For example, 他tā 喝hē 酒jiŭ ，不bù 能néng 开kāi 车chē 。(He drank, so that he cannot drive.)  他tā 太tài 太tai 要yào 用yòng 车chē ，所suǒ 以yǐ 他tā 不bù 能néng 开kāi 车chē 。(His wife needs to use the car, so he cannot drive.)

会huì means ‘to be able to’ and the ability is acquired. 他tā 不bú 会huì 开kāi 车chē, the sentence alone without explanation literally means ‘He’ hasn’t acquired the ability to drive’.

However, 会huì also indicates ‘might’ , i.e. strong possibility. 明míng 天tiān 会huì 下xià 雨yŭ 。Therefore, 不bú 会huì also means ‘impossible to’. For example, 他tā 明míng 天tiān 不bú 会huì 来lái ，他tā 不bù 喜xǐ 欢huān 热rè 闹nào 。(He won’t come tomorrow, he does not like noise/ many people gathering.) 他tā 明míng 天tiān 不bù 能néng 来lái ，因yīn 为wèi 他tā 生shēng 病bìng 了le 。(He cannot come tomorrow, because he is ill.) The illness causes the result that he cannot come, even though he would really like to come.

她tā 很hěn 漂piào 亮liàng 。v.s.她tā 是shì 很hěn 漂piào 亮liàng 。

She is pretty. v.s. She ‘is’ very pretty.

In the very early stages of  learning Chinese, you learned that Chinese adjectives act like verbs which do not need the Be-verb. She is pretty. 她tā 很hěn 漂piào 亮liàng 。I’m busy. 我wǒ 很hěn 忙máng 。Things are expensive here. 这zhè 儿r 东dōng 西xi 很hěn 贵guì 。

However, when you want to emphasize that something or someone ‘is’ very ……, you can use 是shì. Usually, it is used to agree with someone’s opinion. e.g. A:台tái 湾wān 夏xià 天tiān 很hěn 热rè 。Taiwan is hot in the summer. B:是shì 很hěn 热rè 。It is very hot. 听tīng 说shuō 义yì 大dà 利lì 人rén 很hěn 热rè 情qíng 。I heard Italians are passionate. 对duì ，是shì 非fēi 常cháng 热rè 情qíng 。Yes, (They) are very passionate.