<p>They are almost the same, and in most cases it only depends on what prefer to say. But one small piece of difference that I, as a native speaker, can sense is that: the one without 给 sounds more flat, meaning that the one who says it doesn't treat it like a big deal; the one with 给 seems a bit stronger. If you know the pronunciation, you can try to read them out loud, and feel the difference.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-22T02:29:50.200Z
2012-05-22T02:29:50.200Z
dacongy
<p>给 is part of the passive structure of the sentence you've cited. It can be used before the verb either with or without another passive marker (like the neutral 被 or the colloquial 让 or 叫). It doesn't change the meaning of the sentence though, as dacongy mentioned, it can add emphasis.</p>
<p>Here are some example sentences:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>衣服［让］他给弄脏了。<br />
The clothes were dirtied by him.</p>
<p>这个杯子［叫］我给打碎了。<br />
The glass was broken by me.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Confusingly, 给, like 叫 and 让, can <em>also</em> be used as a passive marker by itself in sentences like the following</p>
<blockquote>
<p>门给风吹开了。<br />
The door was blown open by the wind.</p>
<p>孩子给妈妈打了一顿。<br />
The children were given a beating by their mother.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In the above sentences, 给 could be replaced with 叫, 让, or 被 with no change in meaning. (The register and regional flavor will be slightly different.)</p>
<p>This paper, &quot;<a href="http://ling.cuc.edu.cn/Staff/liyuming/papers/2005h.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">北京话“给”字被动句的地位及其历史发展 (PDF)</a>&quot;, which I haven't yet had a chance to read, analyzes the use of 给 in passive sentences (被动句) in Beijing dialect. I skimmed the abstract and it seemed like it might be illuminating.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-22T02:57:09.000Z
2012-05-23T01:59:13.667Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Alf
<p>I saw this in the subtitles of a TV show:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我的手被虫子给咬了。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Why 给 is used in that sentence? </p>

<p>Without considering 给, I've translated it to:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>My hand was bitten by an insect.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-22T01:24:43.297Z
They have the same meaning. I cannot say there's a difference between them. Though I cannot answer why.
fefe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-22T02:18:00.297Z
我的手被虫子给咬了 = 我的手被虫子咬了 Your translation is correct.
Dante WWWW
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-22T02:54:36.703Z
To confuse you further: 我的手给虫子咬了.
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-24T13:42:41.860Z
Let's add to the confusion: 我嘅手俾蚊咬咗. :-)
dda
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-25T00:45:41.500Z
@dda That's Cantonese, right?
dusan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-25T03:33:41.347Z
Yes indeed. The sentence has the same basic structure, except that 俾=給, etc
dda
<usage>
Why 给 is used in 我的手被虫子给咬了?
# Why 给 is used in 我的手被虫子给咬了?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-05-22)

I saw this in the subtitles of a TV show:

> 我的手被虫子给咬了。

Why 给 is used in that sentence?

Without considering 给, I've translated it to:

> My hand was bitten by an insect.

**Tags:** usage

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: They have the same meaning. I cannot say there's a difference between them. Though I cannot answer why.  
> **username_2**: 我的手被虫子给咬了 = 我的手被虫子咬了 Your translation is correct.  
> **username_3**: To confuse you further: 我的手给虫子咬了.  
> **username_4**: Let's add to the confusion: 我嘅手俾蚊咬咗. :-)  
> **username_0**: @username_4 That's Cantonese, right?  
> **username_4**: Yes indeed. The sentence has the same basic structure, except that 俾=給, etc  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2012-05-22. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

给 is part of the passive structure of the sentence you've cited. It can be used before the verb either with or without another passive marker (like the neutral 被 or the colloquial 让 or 叫). It doesn't change the meaning of the sentence though, as username_5 mentioned, it can add emphasis.

Here are some example sentences:

> 衣服［让］他给弄脏了。  
> The clothes were dirtied by him.
>
> 这个杯子［叫］我给打碎了。  
> The glass was broken by me.

Confusingly, 给, like 叫 and 让, can *also* be used as a passive marker by itself in sentences like the following

> 门给风吹开了。  
> The door was blown open by the wind.
>
> 孩子给妈妈打了一顿。  
> The children were given a beating by their mother.

In the above sentences, 给 could be replaced with 叫, 让, or 被 with no change in meaning. (The register and regional flavor will be slightly different.)

This paper, "[北京话“给”字被动句的地位及其历史发展 (PDF)](http://ling.cuc.edu.cn/Staff/liyuming/papers/2005h.pdf)", which I haven't yet had a chance to read, analyzes the use of 给 in passive sentences (被动句) in Beijing dialect. I skimmed the abstract and it seemed like it might be illuminating.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2012-05-22. Score: 1

They are almost the same, and in most cases it only depends on what prefer to say. But one small piece of difference that I, as a native speaker, can sense is that: the one without 给 sounds more flat, meaning that the one who says it doesn't treat it like a big deal; the one with 给 seems a bit stronger. If you know the pronunciation, you can try to read them out loud, and feel the difference.


---

