<p>It is 畀我 (give me/ to me) not 被我 (by me)</p>

<p>畀我 is the Cantonese equivalent of 给我 in Mandarin</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>Is this a difference in grammar between Cantonese and Mandarin?</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Most grammar structure are the same in Cantonese and Mandarin</p>

<p>"而家 唔好 打電話 畀我"  (Cantonese) = "Don't make phone call to me now"</p>

<p>"现在 不要  打电话 给我"  (Mandarin) = "Don't make phone call to me now"</p>

<p>~</p>

<p>"现在 不要  给我 打电话 到警察局" (Mandarin) = " Don't make phone call to the police for me now"</p>

<p>"而家 唔好 同我 打電話 畀警察局" (Cantonese) = " Don't make phone call to the police for me now"</p>

<p>There are some exception:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>'给我 打电话' in Mandarin can mean 'give me a phone call' or ' make phone call for me' </p></li>
<li><p>'同我 打電話' in Cantonese can only mean ' make phone call for me' </p></li>
</ul>

<p>If you want to say 'give me phone call'  in Cantonese, you can either say '打電話 畀我' or ' 同我 通電話' (it is rarely used)</p>

<p>There are some unique Cantonese grammar structure that's not found in Mandarin (mostly involve final particles that do not exist in Mandarin) .</p>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>"而家 唔好 同我 打電話 畀警察局(住)" = " Now, don't make phone call to the police for me (yet)" </p>

<p>Since Mandarin doesn't use the final particle '住' for 'yet' , the same phrase in Mandarin would have to be "现在 (先) 不要  给我 打电话 到警察局" </p>

<p><strong>Edit:</strong> </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>In Cantonese, <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/852/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">俾</a> and <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/749/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">畀</a> are often regarded as variants of each other. However, some people suggest that 俾 means "by (passive voice)" whereas 畀 means "give". </p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-23T23:35:44.733Z
No wonder! So there is a difference because in Cantonese 俾我打電話 wouldn't make sense whereas its Mandarin equivalent 给我打電話 does make sense. This disparity was confusing so thanks for the clarification. You're too awesome.
Crashalot
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-24T00:38:15.907Z
yes, because 1. '给' in "给我打電話 到警察局" is a preposition 'for'   2. '给' in "打電話给我" is a result complement 'to'; 3. 俾我打電話 in Cantonese would mean " let me make phone call" because unlike  '给' in Mandarin, 俾 doesn't function as preposition 'for'
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-24T00:43:28.697Z
给' in "给我打電話" is the preposition 'for' ,  the sentence would mean "make phone call for me"
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-23T10:46:48.553Z
2017-11-23T20:56:02.717Z
2017-11-23T20:56:02.717Z
Tang Ho
<p><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Verbs_preceded_by_%22gei%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This page</a> lists the following sentence in Mandarin: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>现在 不要 给 我 打 电话</p>
</blockquote>

<p>However, in Cantonese it feels like the grammar would be more like:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>[now do not]打電話被我</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In other words, the "target" part of the sentence -- 被 for Cantonese, 给 for Mandarin -- comes at different parts: after the verb for Cantonese, and before the verb for Mandarin.</p>

<p>Is this a difference in grammar between Cantonese and Mandarin?</p>

<grammar><mandarin><cantonese>
Example of grammar difference between Cantonese and Mandarin?
# Example of grammar difference between Cantonese and Mandarin?

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

[This page](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Verbs_preceded_by_%22gei%22) lists the following sentence in Mandarin:

> 现在 不要 给 我 打 电话

However, in Cantonese it feels like the grammar would be more like:

> [now do not]打電話被我

In other words, the "target" part of the sentence -- 被 for Cantonese, 给 for Mandarin -- comes at different parts: after the verb for Cantonese, and before the verb for Mandarin.

Is this a difference in grammar between Cantonese and Mandarin?

**Tags:** grammar, mandarin, cantonese


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-11-23. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

It is 畀我 (give me/ to me) not 被我 (by me)

畀我 is the Cantonese equivalent of 给我 in Mandarin

> *Is this a difference in grammar between Cantonese and Mandarin?*

Most grammar structure are the same in Cantonese and Mandarin

"而家 唔好 打電話 畀我" (Cantonese) = "Don't make phone call to me now"

"现在 不要 打电话 给我" (Mandarin) = "Don't make phone call to me now"

~

"现在 不要 给我 打电话 到警察局" (Mandarin) = " Don't make phone call to the police for me now"

"而家 唔好 同我 打電話 畀警察局" (Cantonese) = " Don't make phone call to the police for me now"

There are some exception:

* '给我 打电话' in Mandarin can mean 'give me a phone call' or ' make phone call for me'
* '同我 打電話' in Cantonese can only mean ' make phone call for me'

If you want to say 'give me phone call' in Cantonese, you can either say '打電話 畀我' or ' 同我 通電話' (it is rarely used)

There are some unique Cantonese grammar structure that's not found in Mandarin (mostly involve final particles that do not exist in Mandarin) .

Example:

"而家 唔好 同我 打電話 畀警察局(住)" = " Now, don't make phone call to the police for me (yet)"

Since Mandarin doesn't use the final particle '住' for 'yet' , the same phrase in Mandarin would have to be "现在 (先) 不要 给我 打电话 到警察局"

**Edit:**

> In Cantonese, [俾](http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/852/) and [畀](http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/749/) are often regarded as variants of each other. However, some people suggest that 俾 means "by (passive voice)" whereas 畀 means "give".

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: No wonder! So there is a difference because in Cantonese 俾我打電話 wouldn't make sense whereas its Mandarin equivalent 给我打電話 does make sense. This disparity was confusing so thanks for the clarification. You're too awesome.  
> **username_1**: yes, because 1. '给' in "给我打電話 到警察局" is a preposition 'for'   2. '给' in "打電話给我" is a result complement 'to'; 3. 俾我打電話 in Cantonese would mean " let me make phone call" because unlike  '给' in Mandarin, 俾 doesn't function as preposition 'for'  
> **username_1**: 给' in "给我打電話" is the preposition 'for' ,  the sentence would mean "make phone call for me"  

---

