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).
