<blockquote>
<p>搬家公司只管大件，小东西还得我亲自动手。</p>
<p>搬家公司只管大件，小东西我还得亲自动手。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These two sentences mean the same. If you don't understand the grammar of the first one, you can think about this sentence:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>小东西(<em>他们</em>)还得 <strong>让</strong> 我亲自动手。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Where 我 is the indirect object of 让 and virtual subject 他们 could be 搬家公司. So, the whole translation can be <em>&quot;For those things small, (they) have to let me to handle&quot;</em>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-03T13:12:03.420Z
This seems to be quite different answer from the one by @songyuanyao♦...
Blaszard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-04T00:58:05.967Z
@Blaszard, just another way to explain it. The goal is to help you to understand. Sometimes, a Chinese sentence can be understood in a few different ways from the grammar standpoint, but the meaning will remain the same. The way I show you for this sentence is based on the way you usually comprehend. Songyuanyao's answer is correct too, but it seems that you were quite struggling with that.
dan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-02T21:57:03.533Z
2018-02-03T13:12:36.830Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
dan
<p>In the following conversation:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A: 小湖，这几天你怎么没来下棋呀？</p>
<p>B: 为了搬家我忙得焦头烂额。哪儿有时间下棋呀？</p>
<p>A: 你可以委托搬家公司呀？</p>
<p>B: 搬家公司只管大件，小东西还<strong>得</strong>我亲自动手。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I'm sure the 得 here means &quot;have to ~&quot; or &quot;must&quot; (so it is <code>dei</code>, not <code>de</code>). However, the subject is likely 我, not 小东西.</p>
<p>So why is place of 得 not after 我 in this sentence? Is it OK and if that is the case, how can I know in what case should I put 得 before the subject?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-02T15:57:44.520Z
Just think about Modal verb.
mootmoot
<grammar>
Why is 得 put before 我 in 搬家公司只管大件，小东西还得我亲自动手?
# Why is 得 put before 我 in 搬家公司只管大件，小东西还得我亲自动手?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-02-02)

In the following conversation:

> A: 小湖，这几天你怎么没来下棋呀？
>
> B: 为了搬家我忙得焦头烂额。哪儿有时间下棋呀？
>
> A: 你可以委托搬家公司呀？
>
> B: 搬家公司只管大件，小东西还**得**我亲自动手。

I'm sure the 得 here means "have to ~" or "must" (so it is `dei`, not `de`). However, the subject is likely 我, not 小东西.

So why is place of 得 not after 我 in this sentence? Is it OK and if that is the case, how can I know in what case should I put 得 before the subject?

**Tags:** grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Just think about Modal verb.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-02-02. Score: 0

> 搬家公司只管大件，小东西还得我亲自动手。
>
> 搬家公司只管大件，小东西我还得亲自动手。

These two sentences mean the same. If you don't understand the grammar of the first one, you can think about this sentence:

> 小东西(*他们*)还得 **让** 我亲自动手。

Where 我 is the indirect object of 让 and virtual subject 他们 could be 搬家公司. So, the whole translation can be *"For those things small, (they) have to let me to handle"*.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: This seems to be quite different answer from the one by @songyuanyao♦...  
> **username_2**: @username_0, just another way to explain it. The goal is to help you to understand. Sometimes, a Chinese sentence can be understood in a few different ways from the grammar standpoint, but the meaning will remain the same. The way I show you for this sentence is based on the way you usually comprehend. Songyuanyao's answer is correct too, but it seems that you were quite struggling with that.  

---

