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.

他tā 不bú 但dàn 很hěn 胖pàng 也yě 很hěn 矮ăi

他tā 不bú 但dàn 很hěn 胖pàng 而ér 且qiě 很hěn 矮ăi 。

He is not only fat but also short.

Although 不bú 但dàn ……也yě and 不bú 但dàn ….而ér 且qiě are both translated as ‘not only ……but also’, 不bú 但dàn ……也yě can only be used to connect two clauses; not two adjectives. e.g.

他tā 不bú 但dàn 脸liăn 红hóng 了le ，耳ěr 朵duǒ 也yě 红hóng 了le 。Not only is he blushing, but his ears are also red.

她tā  不bú 但dàn 会huì 赚zhuàn 钱qián ，（她tā ）也yě 会huì 理lǐ 家jiā。Not only can she earn a living, but she can also run the family.

不bú 但dàn …..而ér 且qiě can only used with the same subject. e.g.

她tā 不bú 但dàn 会huì 赚zhuàn 钱qián 而ér 且qiě 会huì 理lǐ 家jiā 。

他tā 不bú 但dàn 脸liăn 红hóng 了le ，而ér 且qiě 耳ěr 朵duo 红hóng 了le 。(The subjects are 脸liăn and 耳ěr 朵duo )

But you can use 不bú 但dàn …而ér 且qiě ….也yě : 他tā 不bú 但dàn 脸liăn 红hóng 了le ，而ér 且qiě 耳ěr 朵duo 也yě 红hóng 了le 。

朝cháo v.s. 向xiàng v.s.往wăng

All three of them mean ‘towards’.

我wǒ 们mén 一yì 直zhí 朝cháo /向xiàng /往wăng 东dōng 走zǒu 了le 大dà 半bàn 天tiān 才cái 找zhăo 到dào 这zhè 儿ēr 。We went towards the east for a long while, and finally found this place.

他tā 不bù 小xiăo 心xīn 打dă 破pò 了le 杯bēi 子zi ，大dà 夥huǒ 儿ér 都dōu 朝cháo /向xiàng /往wăng 他tā 那nà 儿er  看kàn 。He accidentally broke a cup (glass), and everybody  looked towards where he was.

However, 朝cháo can be used as a verb, meaning ‘to face a direction’; e.g. His house faces south. 他tā 的de 房fáng 子zǐ 朝cháo 南nán 。

And 往wăng can be used only with a location after it. The sentence above ,’…….往wăng 他tā 那nà 儿er 看kàn ‘ can not be said 往wăng 他tā 看kàn while 朝cháo /向xiàng 他tā 看kàn is absolutely correct.

The sentence pattern 往wăng …..一yī ….. indicates a verb of  movement towards a location; e.g. 他tā 把bă 水shuǐ 杯bēi 往wăng 桌zhuō 上shàng 一yí 放fàng ，就jiù 跑păo 掉diào 了le 。He put the glass on the table, and then (he) disappeared.  他tā 回huí 到dào 家jiā ，把bă 包bāo  往wăng 地dì 上shàng 一yì 扔rēng ，就jiù 往wăng 厕cè 所suǒ 跑păo 。He came home, threw the bag on the floor and rushed to the toilet.

教jiào 室shì 的de 左zuǒ 边biān v.s. 左zuǒ 边biān 的de 教jiào 室shì

on the left hand side of the classroom v.s. the classroom on the left hand side

教jiào 室shì is classroom

左zuǒ 边biān is left hand side.

The tip is: 的de is like “of” in the English sentence pattern A of B. e.g.  the door (A) of your house (B), but the Chinese way we say B first and then A: B 的de A: 你nǐ 家jiā(your house) 的de 门mén (the door).

So 教jiào 室shì 的de 左zuǒ 边biān is the left hand side of the classroom and 左zuǒ 边biān 的de 教jiào 室shì is the classroom of the left hand side.

let’s have some more examples:

邮yóu 局jú 在zài 电diàn 影yǐng 院yuàn 的de 左zuǒ 边biān 。The post office is on the left hand side of the movie theater.

左zuǒ 边biān 的de 商shāng 店diàn 不bú 卖mài 吃chī 的de 。The shop on the left hand side does not sell food.

我wǒ 家jiā （的de ）前qián 面miàn 有yǒu 一yì 家jiā 超chāo 市shì 。 There is a supermarket in front of my house.

前qián 面miàn 的de 超chāo 市shì 不bú 卖mài 青qīng 菜cài 。The supermarket at front does not sell vegetables.

桌zhuō 子zi 的de 旁páng 边biān 有yǒu 一yì 把bă 椅yǐ 子zi 。There is a chair on the side of the table.

旁páng 边biān 的de 桌zhuō 子zi 没méi 人rén 坐zuò 。No one is sitting at the table on the side. (The table on the side is not occupied.)

刚gāng 才cái v.s. 刚gāng 刚gāng

just now v.s. only just

People learning Chinese often get 刚gāng 才cái and 刚gāng 刚gāng muddled up.

刚gāng 才cái is used before or after the subject just like ‘time phrases(今jīn 天tiān ，明míng 天tiān ). e.g.

他tā 刚gāng 才cái 来lái 过guò 。He came over just now. (He is not here anymore)

刚gāng 才cái 他tā 说shuō 他tā 不bù 能néng 去qù 。Just now he said he couldn’t go.

But, 刚gāng 刚gāng is used before a verb, as an adverb. e.g.

A：唉āi ！你nǐ 怎zěn 麽me 在zài ！How come you are here!

B：我wǒ 刚gāng 刚gāng 回huí 来lái 。I have only just returned.

You might disagree with me here as you may have heard that 刚gāng 刚gāng and刚gāng 才cái are interchangeable. You are right. But, there is a large gray area.

When they go with negative 不bù , they are different:

A：他tā 不bú 是shì 刚gāng 刚gāng 回huí 来lái 吗mā ？B：他tā 已yǐ 经jīng 回huí 来lái 好hăo 一yí 阵zhèn 子zi 了le 。Didn’t he just come back? No, he has been back for  a while already.

A：你nǐ 刚gāng 才cái 不bù （没méi ）说shuō 话huà ，我wǒ 还hái 以yǐ 为wéi 你nǐ 没méi 意yì 见jiàn 。 You were quiet just now. I thought you did not have any opinions (you agreed with what was said).

Secondly, 刚gāng 刚gāng can refer to some time a while ago and 刚gāng 才cái is only used to indicate just now not long ago. e.g.

这zhè 本běn 书shū 十shí  年nián 前qián 刚gāng 刚gāng 出chū 版băn 的de 时shí 候hòu ，很hěn 抢qiăng 手shǒu 。Ten years ago when this book was just published , it was very popular (hard to get one).