<p>You can place 给：</p>

<ul>
<li><strong>before</strong> the main verb when it's used as a <strong>preposition</strong> (usually "to")</li>
<li><strong>after</strong> the main verb when it expresses the <strong>result</strong> of an action</li>
</ul>

<p>In the first case you are not expressing the result of the action, just the target of the action:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>照片，我给你已经发好了 --- I already sent you the pictures (<strong>to</strong> you) <br><br>
  你打算什么时候给你父母介绍你的女朋友 --- When do you plan to introduce your girlfriend <strong>to</strong> your parents? <br><br>
  我不知道怎样给我的领导提建议 --- I don't know how to provide suggestions <strong>to</strong> my boss</p>
</blockquote>

<p><br>
In the other case you are expressing a result that stems from the main action, and you can find some implied temporal order in it, sometimes explicitly marked by other particles:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>照片，我已经发给你了 --- I've sent you the pictures (results in you having them) <br><br></p>
  
  <p>申请单必须提交给商务局批准 --- The request form must be submitted to the commerce bureau for approval (results in them having it; which leads to the approval)</p>
</blockquote>

<p><br>
I don't think you can find an exhaustive list of the verbs that support either construction. What you can do is to consider whether 给 expresses a target or a consequence/order. For verbs that support both, usage depends on what meaning you want to emphasize. In your examples:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Preceding: 请 你 把 那些 照片 发给 我 --- (result of sending: I have the pictures) <br>
  Following: 我 给 你 发 了 一 封 邮件 --- (target of sending: you, not someone else)</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-23T23:55:35.453Z
This explanation seems to conflict with @Tang Ho's answer because he says before the verb, 给 usually acts as "for" whereas you say 给 usually acts as "to." How to reconcile these conflicting answers?
Crashalot
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-23T23:56:39.163Z
Thank you for taking the time to provide such a detailed answer!
Crashalot
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-24T05:51:00.007Z
There's no conflict really, depending on the main verb sometimes in English it gets translated into "for". If you take Tang Ho's example 给你煮晚饭 in English "cook for" is surely more correct than "cook to", however you could as well say "I cook you dinner"  in a ditransitive construction. So you can still see how 给 expresses a target. You also don't want to confuse it with the English "for" that means advantage or purpose, as in "I work for you", in that case you would write 为你煮晚饭
blackgreen
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-23T15:28:51.940Z
2017-11-23T15:28:51.940Z
blackgreen
<blockquote>
<p><strong>1)</strong> Is there a list of these exceptions somewhere? If not, are there
suggested rules for knowing when 給 should follow a verb instead of
precede it?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The answer is there is no rule for that purpose, because one could be paraphrased to the other.</p>
<p>For example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我给你发了一封邮件 can be paraphrased as 我发了一封邮件给你.</p>
<p>现在不要给他打电话 can be paraphrased as 现在不要打电话给他.</p>
<p>昨天他送给老师一束花 can be paraphrased as 昨天他送一束花给老师.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As you can see, the two structures(preceding and following) are interchangeable.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>2)</strong> The two pages lists conflicting examples for 發.</p>
<p>One example lists 發 as preceding the verb; the other lists 發 as
following the verb.</p>
<p>Preceding: 请把那些照片都发给我</p>
<p>Following: 我给你发了一封邮件</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As I point out, both structures are interchangeable(though 把 is used in the first sentence). So the two sentences can be paraphrased as:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>请把那些照片都给我发过来 or 请发给我那些照片</p>
<p>我发了一封邮件给你</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-24T05:12:53.547Z
2017-11-24T05:12:53.547Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
dan
<ol>
<li>When 給 precede a verb and  then the final particle 了 ,  it means 'be'</li>
</ol>

<p>Example: <strong>給</strong>杀害了 = <strong>be</strong> killed</p>

<ol start="2">
<li>When 給 follow a verb, it acts as a result complement 'to'</li>
</ol>

<p>Example: 交<strong>給</strong>你 = hand (it) <strong>to</strong> you</p>

<ol start="3">
<li>When 給 precede a subject then a verb, it means 'for' </li>
</ol>

<p>Example:  </p>

<p>"<strong>給我</strong>走" = "go away, <strong>for me</strong>" (it is actually a command, not a request) </p>

<p>"<strong>給你</strong>煮晚餐" = "cook dinner <strong>for you</strong>" </p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>Is there a mistake in these examples, or can 發 both precede and follow a</em> verb? If both, when does it precede and when does it follow?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>"<strong>给你</strong>发邮件" mainly mean  "send mail <strong>to you</strong>" but it can mean "send mail <strong>for you</strong>" if followed by an object that's not you, e.g.  "<strong>给你</strong>发邮件到法院"</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-23T23:41:25.173Z
In your first example, 給 seems to act like 被. Is that a valid way to see it?
Crashalot
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-23T23:56:10.070Z
This explanation seems to conflict with @TXV's answer because you say before the verb, 给 usually acts as "for" whereas he says 给 usually acts as "to." How to reconcile these conflicting answers?
Crashalot
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-24T00:17:13.980Z
1. In "給我走" ,  it is [ 給 (preposition-' for') + 我(object- 'me') + 走(verb- 'go')  = "go, for me" (a command) 2. In "給我錢" ,  it is [ 給 (verb-' give') + 我( indirect object- 'me') + 錢(direct object- 'money')  = "give me money" The The key to tell which '給' (for or to) we are looking at,  is  to see either a verb or a noun follow it.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-24T00:25:59.383Z
Yes 給(be) here  acts similarly to 被(by); "給杀害了"= "be killed" (subject omitted); "被 (subject) 杀害了" = "be killed by (subject)"
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-24T04:16:49.337Z
给我走 is an imperative sentence, meaning 你给我走， I let/order you out! or just get out!
dan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-23T13:23:02.780Z
2017-11-23T13:23:02.780Z
Tang Ho
<p><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Verbs_preceded_by_%22gei%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">According to this page</a>, 給 usually precedes the verb.</p>

<p><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Verbs_followed_by_%22gei%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">On this page</a>, it says 給 sometimes follows the verb, and often these exceptions are single-syllable verbs.</p>

<p>1) Is there a list of these exceptions somewhere? If not, are there suggested rules for knowing when 給 should follow a verb instead of precede it?</p>

<p>2) The two pages lists conflicting examples for 發. One example lists 發 as preceding the verb; the other lists 發 as following the verb.</p>

<p>Preceding: 请 把 那些 照片 都 发给 我</p>

<p>Following: 我 给 你 发 了 一 封 邮件</p>

<p>Is there a mistake in these examples, or can 發 both precede and follow a verb? If both, when does it precede and when does it follow?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-23T07:28:43.503Z
请给我发那些照片 and 我发了一封邮件给你 are also correct. I found nowhere to place the "都" in the first sentence though.
fefe
<mandarin><cantonese>
List of verbs followed by 給
# List of verbs followed by 給

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-23)

[According to this page](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Verbs_preceded_by_%22gei%22), 給 usually precedes the verb.

[On this page](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Verbs_followed_by_%22gei%22), it says 給 sometimes follows the verb, and often these exceptions are single-syllable verbs.

1) Is there a list of these exceptions somewhere? If not, are there suggested rules for knowing when 給 should follow a verb instead of precede it?

2) The two pages lists conflicting examples for 發. One example lists 發 as preceding the verb; the other lists 發 as following the verb.

Preceding: 请 把 那些 照片 都 发给 我

Following: 我 给 你 发 了 一 封 邮件

Is there a mistake in these examples, or can 發 both precede and follow a verb? If both, when does it precede and when does it follow?

**Tags:** mandarin, cantonese

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 请给我发那些照片 and 我发了一封邮件给你 are also correct. I found nowhere to place the "都" in the first sentence though.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-11-23. Score: 4

You can place 给：

* **before** the main verb when it's used as a **preposition** (usually "to")
* **after** the main verb when it expresses the **result** of an action

In the first case you are not expressing the result of the action, just the target of the action:

> 照片，我给你已经发好了 --- I already sent you the pictures (**to** you)   
>   
> 你打算什么时候给你父母介绍你的女朋友 --- When do you plan to introduce your girlfriend **to** your parents?   
>   
> 我不知道怎样给我的领导提建议 --- I don't know how to provide suggestions **to** my boss

In the other case you are expressing a result that stems from the main action, and you can find some implied temporal order in it, sometimes explicitly marked by other particles:

> 照片，我已经发给你了 --- I've sent you the pictures (results in you having them)
>
> 申请单必须提交给商务局批准 --- The request form must be submitted to the commerce bureau for approval (results in them having it; which leads to the approval)

I don't think you can find an exhaustive list of the verbs that support either construction. What you can do is to consider whether 给 expresses a target or a consequence/order. For verbs that support both, usage depends on what meaning you want to emphasize. In your examples:

> Preceding: 请 你 把 那些 照片 发给 我 --- (result of sending: I have the pictures)   
> Following: 我 给 你 发 了 一 封 邮件 --- (target of sending: you, not someone else)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: This explanation seems to conflict with @username_4's answer because he says before the verb, 给 usually acts as "for" whereas you say 给 usually acts as "to." How to reconcile these conflicting answers?  
> **username_0**: Thank you for taking the time to provide such a detailed answer!  
> **username_2**: There's no conflict really, depending on the main verb sometimes in English it gets translated into "for". If you take username_4 Ho's example 给你煮晚饭 in English "cook for" is surely more correct than "cook to", however you could as well say "I cook you dinner"  in a ditransitive construction. So you can still see how 给 expresses a target. You also don't want to confuse it with the English "for" that means advantage or purpose, as in "I work for you", in that case you would write 为你煮晚饭  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-11-24. Score: 2

> **1)** Is there a list of these exceptions somewhere? If not, are there
> suggested rules for knowing when 給 should follow a verb instead of
> precede it?

The answer is there is no rule for that purpose, because one could be paraphrased to the other.

For example:

> 我给你发了一封邮件 can be paraphrased as 我发了一封邮件给你.
>
> 现在不要给他打电话 can be paraphrased as 现在不要打电话给他.
>
> 昨天他送给老师一束花 can be paraphrased as 昨天他送一束花给老师.

As you can see, the two structures(preceding and following) are interchangeable.

> **2)** The two pages lists conflicting examples for 發.
>
> One example lists 發 as preceding the verb; the other lists 發 as
> following the verb.
>
> Preceding: 请把那些照片都发给我
>
> Following: 我给你发了一封邮件

As I point out, both structures are interchangeable(though 把 is used in the first sentence). So the two sentences can be paraphrased as:

> 请把那些照片都给我发过来 or 请发给我那些照片
>
> 我发了一封邮件给你


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2017-11-23. Score: 1

1. When 給 precede a verb and then the final particle 了 , it means 'be'

Example: **給**杀害了 = **be** killed

2. When 給 follow a verb, it acts as a result complement 'to'

Example: 交**給**你 = hand (it) **to** you

3. When 給 precede a subject then a verb, it means 'for'

Example:

"**給我**走" = "go away, **for me**" (it is actually a command, not a request)

"**給你**煮晚餐" = "cook dinner **for you**"

> *Is there a mistake in these examples, or can 發 both precede and follow a* verb? If both, when does it precede and when does it follow?

"**给你**发邮件" mainly mean "send mail **to you**" but it can mean "send mail **for you**" if followed by an object that's not you, e.g. "**给你**发邮件到法院"

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: In your first example, 給 seems to act like 被. Is that a valid way to see it?  
> **username_0**: This explanation seems to conflict with @TXV's answer because you say before the verb, 给 usually acts as "for" whereas he says 给 usually acts as "to." How to reconcile these conflicting answers?  
> **username_4**: 1. In "給我走" ,  it is [ 給 (preposition-' for') + 我(object- 'me') + 走(verb- 'go')  = "go, for me" (a command) 2. In "給我錢" ,  it is [ 給 (verb-' give') + 我( indirect object- 'me') + 錢(direct object- 'money')  = "give me money" The The key to tell which '給' (for or to) we are looking at,  is  to see either a verb or a noun follow it.  
> **username_4**: Yes 給(be) here  acts similarly to 被(by); "給杀害了"= "be killed" (subject omitted); "被 (subject) 杀害了" = "be killed by (subject)"  
> **username_3**: 给我走 is an imperative sentence, meaning 你给我走， I let/order you out! or just get out!  

---

