ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY
把
to hold; (grammar: takes the object)
bǎ
7 strokes · 扌 (hand) + 巴 (ba, sound) · HSK 3
What 把 is made of
扌 + 巴 = 把
扌hand (side form)
巴clinging snake
Where 把 comes from
A hand 扌 gripping — 巴 lends the sound. From physical grasping, 把 grew into Chinese grammar's most famous move: grab the object and put it BEFORE the verb.
把 in Chinese culture
The 把-construction is the rite of passage for every Chinese learner: 我把门关了 'I (took the door and) closed it'. It also counts things with handles — 一把刀 a knife, 一把伞 an umbrella, even 一把年纪 'a pile of years'.
Example
把手 bǎshou — handle
请把门关上。
Qǐng bǎ mén guānshàng.
Please close the door.
How to remember it
A HAND grabs the object and drags it in front of the verb.
Linguists have written entire PhD theses on the 把-construction — no other Chinese word has generated more academic ink.
Same sound, different tones
Words unlocked by 把
把手 bǎshou
handle
一把伞 yì bǎ sǎn
an umbrella
Related characters
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