The grammar book I have been using is Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar by Claudia Ross and Jing-Heng Sheng Ma (ISBN 0-415-70010-8). It describes the use of 把 as discussed here as forming "disposal constructions" where the sentence is basically answering the question of "What did the subject do to the object", focusing the action on the object.
弟弟把饺子吃完了。 Little brother ate up the dumplings.
It also mentions that this construct is used in Chinese where English would use a passive sentence.
Anyway, it was a very useful lesson as always. I second the call for a 请问 on 把!
Posted on: Dropping and Losing 丢, 弄丢，丢掉
April 4, 2009 at 11:58 PMThe grammar book I have been using is Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar by Claudia Ross and Jing-Heng Sheng Ma (ISBN 0-415-70010-8). It describes the use of 把 as discussed here as forming "disposal constructions" where the sentence is basically answering the question of "What did the subject do to the object", focusing the action on the object.
弟弟把饺子吃完了。
Little brother ate up the dumplings.
It also mentions that this construct is used in Chinese where English would use a passive sentence.
Anyway, it was a very useful lesson as always. I second the call for a 请问 on 把!