<p>Whenever you emphasize the object associated with your action, then use 把. </p>

<p>example:  I put a cake on a chair 
我放下蛋糕予椅子上
我放低蛋糕落張凳</p>

<p>我把蛋糕放在椅子上
我將舊蛋糕放低落個凳度</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-12T12:01:48.327Z
2018-07-12T12:01:48.327Z
Larry Lo
<p>The question is not so specific. Maybe you can give some example cases as the beginning of your question.
It takes me several minutes to think about "把字句" (the sentences using 把). 把 is not necessary in most of the cases, because it can be change to another formation we called "被字句" (the sentences using 被, passive voice).</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我<strong>把</strong>你的问题回答了 = 你的问题<strong>被</strong>我回答了</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Please read this for more info: <a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%8A%8A%E5%AD%97%E5%8F%A5/9464755" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%8A%8A%E5%AD%97%E5%8F%A5/9464755</a></p>

<p>However, even if you use it as a measure word, 把 can be substituted by other measure word. For example:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>一把稻草 = 一束稻草<br>
  一把枪 = 一支枪 = 一杆枪</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Even if the measurement is just small around the size of your hand. It is mostly not a fixed phrase:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>一把沙土 = 一握沙土<br>
  一把手枪 = 一支手枪</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Now the only thing I know is "一把手", here the specific verbal word means the top power person of an organization, especially the government department.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-10T10:23:46.943Z
2018-07-10T11:07:31.777Z
2018-07-10T11:07:31.777Z
Bruce Huang
<p>The short answer is that the &quot;ba&quot; construction is required when a direct object representing a <em>human</em> or an <em>animate</em> item or a <em>non-specific indefinite inanimate item</em> is moved before the verb. Moving such an object before the verb is done for the purposes of topicalisation or adding focus to it.</p>
<p>For example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>He hit <em>the ball</em>.</p>
<p>他球打了</p>
<p>他把球打了</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In the above 把 is optional, although having it makes it clearer. The optional nature of the 把 comes from 球; it is inanimate, so does not require 把.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>He hit <em>me</em>.</p>
<p>*<strike>他我打了</strike></p>
<p>他把我打了</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Here, 把 is obligatory when 我 is put before the verb for emphasis. Why? Because it is animate (and because it is a pronoun).</p>
<p>Why you would <em>have</em> to put an object in front? It depends on the verb, and specifically: when certain verbs can take two objects or &quot;arguments&quot;, only the indirect /positional one fits after the verb, and so the direct object <em>must</em> go before the verb in Mandarin. The most well-known one is 放, but others like 送 / 丢
/ 仍 also exist.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>He puts the cake on the plate.</p>
<p>*<strike>他放蛋糕在盘子上</strike></p>
<p>他把蛋糕放在盘子上</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Notably however, this restriction is relaxed in dialectal Mandarin and in other Chinese topolects like Cantonese: it is <em>not</em> obligatory to use 将 (the Cantonese equivalent of 把) for verbs like 放:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>He puts the cake on the plate</p>
<p><em>Cantonese only</em></p>
<p>佢<strong>將</strong>蛋糕<strong>放</strong>喺碟上</p>
<p>佢<strong>放</strong>蛋糕喺碟上</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-10T10:32:16.980Z
2018-07-10T10:32:16.980Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Michaelyus
<p>Is there such case in which 把 must be used or otherwise a sentence is incorrect?</p>

<p>I am not interested in when it can be used because that's an issue that is rather widely covered. </p>

<p>我感谢你们的帮助。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-10T08:45:30.650Z
When it's a measure word, for sure.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-11T18:03:15.597Z
What is the reason for the 2 downvotes?
Blaszard
<grammar>
把 grammar and when it MUST be used, not when it CAN be used
# 把 grammar and when it MUST be used, not when it CAN be used

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-07-10)

Is there such case in which 把 must be used or otherwise a sentence is incorrect?

I am not interested in when it can be used because that's an issue that is rather widely covered.

我感谢你们的帮助。

**Tags:** grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: When it's a measure word, for sure.  
> **username_2**: What is the reason for the 2 downvotes?  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2018-07-10. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

The short answer is that the "ba" construction is required when a direct object representing a *human* or an *animate* item or a *non-specific indefinite inanimate item* is moved before the verb. Moving such an object before the verb is done for the purposes of topicalisation or adding focus to it.

For example:

> He hit *the ball*.
>
> 他球打了
>
> 他把球打了

In the above 把 is optional, although having it makes it clearer. The optional nature of the 把 comes from 球; it is inanimate, so does not require 把.

> He hit *me*.
>
> \*他我打了
>
> 他把我打了

Here, 把 is obligatory when 我 is put before the verb for emphasis. Why? Because it is animate (and because it is a pronoun).

Why you would *have* to put an object in front? It depends on the verb, and specifically: when certain verbs can take two objects or "arguments", only the indirect /positional one fits after the verb, and so the direct object *must* go before the verb in Mandarin. The most well-known one is 放, but others like 送 / 丢
/ 仍 also exist.

> He puts the cake on the plate.
>
> \*他放蛋糕在盘子上
>
> 他把蛋糕放在盘子上

Notably however, this restriction is relaxed in dialectal Mandarin and in other Chinese topolects like Cantonese: it is *not* obligatory to use 将 (the Cantonese equivalent of 把) for verbs like 放:

> He puts the cake on the plate
>
> *Cantonese only*
>
> 佢**將**蛋糕**放**喺碟上
>
> 佢**放**蛋糕喺碟上


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-07-12. Score: 0

Whenever you emphasize the object associated with your action, then use 把.

example: I put a cake on a chair
我放下蛋糕予椅子上
我放低蛋糕落張凳

我把蛋糕放在椅子上
我將舊蛋糕放低落個凳度


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-07-10. Score: 0

The question is not so specific. Maybe you can give some example cases as the beginning of your question.
It takes me several minutes to think about "把字句" (the sentences using 把). 把 is not necessary in most of the cases, because it can be change to another formation we called "被字句" (the sentences using 被, passive voice).

> 我**把**你的问题回答了 = 你的问题**被**我回答了

Please read this for more info: <https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%8A%8A%E5%AD%97%E5%8F%A5/9464755>

However, even if you use it as a measure word, 把 can be substituted by other measure word. For example:

> 一把稻草 = 一束稻草  
> 一把枪 = 一支枪 = 一杆枪

Even if the measurement is just small around the size of your hand. It is mostly not a fixed phrase:

> 一把沙土 = 一握沙土  
> 一把手枪 = 一支手枪

Now the only thing I know is "一把手", here the specific verbal word means the top power person of an organization, especially the government department.


---

