<blockquote>
<p>A. 用翅膀飛:</p>
<p>[1. 用] [2. 翅膀] [3.飛]</p>
<p>[1.use] [2.wing] [3. to fly]</p>
<p>[1.primary verb] [2.object] [3. secondary verb]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>&quot;用翅膀飛 = to use wings to fly.&quot;</p>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p>B.用你給我的翅膀飛:</p>
<p>[1.用] [2.你給我的] [3.翅膀] [4.飛]</p>
<p>[1.use] [2.the one you gave me] [3.wings] [4. to fly]</p>
<p>[1.primary verb] [2.adjectival phrase] [3.object] [4.secondary verb]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>&quot;用你給我的翅膀飛&quot; = &quot;use the wings that you gave me to fly.&quot;</p>
<p>The <a href="http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/adjectives/adjective-phrase.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">adjectival phrase</a> describes (or gives additional information about) the object</p>
<p>For example: <em>It is a pair of wings-- it is a pair of wings that you gave me.</em></p>
<blockquote>
<p><em><a href="http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/sent-verbs.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Primary and Secondary Verbs</a></em>:</p>
<p><em>A primary verb can be marked for tense (walked), person (walks) and in some cases number (is, was, were). Present and past tenses are formed with verb inflection, the other tenses are formed in combination with auxiliary verbs.</em></p>
<p><em>A secondary verb is not marked for tense, aspect, mood, number and person, and it cannot serve as a predicate, nor can it be used in an independent clause.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Since 用 (use) in 用翅膀飛 is the primary verb, it can be marked for tense, (e.g. use used, have been using) . while 飛(to fly) is the secondary verb, it is not marked for tense.</p>
<p>Another example: in 'jump to reach', 'jump' is the primary verb and 'to reach' is the secondary verb</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-10T23:52:49.017Z
2017-07-10T23:59:13.293Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>用 with<br>
你給我 you gave me<br>
翅膀 the wings<br>
飛 fly  </p>

<p>你給我的翅膀 the wings you gave me</p>

<p>fly with 你給我的翅膀</p>

<p>用你給我的翅膀飛<br>
fly with the wings you gave me.</p>

<p>What you missed is the meaning of 用.
It is a preposition here and is <a href="http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=W00000011930" rel="noreferrer">equivalent to 以</a>.</p>

<p>用...工具 ＝ 以...工具 ＝ with ... tools/instruments</p>

<p>You won't miss it if the sentence is 以你給我的翅膀飛 .</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-10T22:55:27.617Z
2017-07-10T23:26:52.063Z
2017-07-10T23:26:52.063Z
Farnz Seager
<p>In the music video at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC_5uIQSYl0&amp;t=42s" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC_5uIQSYl0&amp;t=42s</a> is the lyric "用你給我的翅膀飛". If my understanding of that sentence is correct, it translates directly to "using" + "you-to-me's wings" + "fly" which seemingly has the same meaning as "Fly to me using your wings."</p>

<p>The word order guide at <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Word_order#Placement_of_target_in_a_sentence" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Word_order#Placement_of_target_in_a_sentence</a> suggests the latter sentence should conventionally be written as "用(你的)翅膀" (instrument) + "給我" (target) + "飛" (verb).</p>

<p>Yet, based on the structure of "用你給我的翅膀飛", it seems that one can combine the "target" into the "instrument" by using the target as an adjective. Is this interpretation correct? Or am I missing some fundamental grammar point?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-11T03:34:27.063Z
林俊杰的歌词 Lyrics from JJ's song
xenophōn
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-12T02:51:37.223Z
用 **_你給我的_** **翅膀** 飛 (I) use **the wings** **_you gave me_** to fly.
xenophōn
<grammar>
Interpreting the Grammar of 用你給我的翅膀飛
# Interpreting the Grammar of 用你給我的翅膀飛

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-07-10)

In the music video at <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC_5uIQSYl0&t=42s> is the lyric "用你給我的翅膀飛". If my understanding of that sentence is correct, it translates directly to "using" + "you-to-me's wings" + "fly" which seemingly has the same meaning as "Fly to me using your wings."

The word order guide at <https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Word_order#Placement_of_target_in_a_sentence> suggests the latter sentence should conventionally be written as "用(你的)翅膀" (instrument) + "給我" (target) + "飛" (verb).

Yet, based on the structure of "用你給我的翅膀飛", it seems that one can combine the "target" into the "instrument" by using the target as an adjective. Is this interpretation correct? Or am I missing some fundamental grammar point?

**Tags:** grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 林俊杰的歌词 Lyrics from JJ's song  
> **username_1**: 用 **_你給我的_** **翅膀** 飛 (I) use **the wings** **_you gave me_** to fly.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-07-10. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

> A. 用翅膀飛:
>
> [1. 用] [2. 翅膀] [3.飛]
>
> [1.use] [2.wing] [3. to fly]
>
> [1.primary verb] [2.object] [3. secondary verb]

"用翅膀飛 = to use wings to fly."

~

> B.用你給我的翅膀飛:
>
> [1.用] [2.你給我的] [3.翅膀] [4.飛]
>
> [1.use] [2.the one you gave me] [3.wings] [4. to fly]
>
> [1.primary verb] [2.adjectival phrase] [3.object] [4.secondary verb]

"用你給我的翅膀飛" = "use the wings that you gave me to fly."

The [adjectival phrase](http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/adjectives/adjective-phrase.html) describes (or gives additional information about) the object

For example: *It is a pair of wings-- it is a pair of wings that you gave me.*

> *[Primary and Secondary Verbs](http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/sent-verbs.html)*:
>
> *A primary verb can be marked for tense (walked), person (walks) and in some cases number (is, was, were). Present and past tenses are formed with verb inflection, the other tenses are formed in combination with auxiliary verbs.*
>
> *A secondary verb is not marked for tense, aspect, mood, number and person, and it cannot serve as a predicate, nor can it be used in an independent clause.*

Since 用 (use) in 用翅膀飛 is the primary verb, it can be marked for tense, (e.g. use used, have been using) . while 飛(to fly) is the secondary verb, it is not marked for tense.

Another example: in 'jump to reach', 'jump' is the primary verb and 'to reach' is the secondary verb


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-07-10. Score: 7

用 with  
你給我 you gave me  
翅膀 the wings  
飛 fly

你給我的翅膀 the wings you gave me

fly with 你給我的翅膀

用你給我的翅膀飛  
fly with the wings you gave me.

What you missed is the meaning of 用.
It is a preposition here and is [equivalent to 以](http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=W00000011930).

用...工具 ＝ 以...工具 ＝ with ... tools/instruments

You won't miss it if the sentence is 以你給我的翅膀飛 .


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