HSK 6
“把”字句4:表致使
“ bǎ ” zì jù 4 : biǎo zhì shǐ
The "把" sentence type 4: Expressing causation (致使)
Explanation
This is type 4 of the 把 sentence (a sentence using 把 bǎ to emphasize the handling/effect on the object), used to express 致使 (zhì shǐ = to cause, to make happen): the subject brings about a result or state for the object that follows 把.
subject (the cause) + 把 + object (the thing affected) + verb + result component. There are two patterns: (1) the subject is a thing/event: 这双鞋把脚磨破了 (these shoes chafed the foot raw); (2) the subject is a person whose action makes another person fall into some state, usually with the complement 得 (the component after a verb that indicates degree/result): 他把大伙儿笑得肚子疼 (he made everyone laugh until their stomachs hurt).
when you want to emphasize that a cause has brought about a concrete consequence for the object (getting scraped, being woken up, laughing until it hurts, being moved to tears). After the verb there must be a result component (了, 破, 醒, or 得 + state); the verb cannot stand bare.
unlike an ordinary 把 sentence (where the subject actively handles a thing, as in 把门关上 = close the door), in this type the subject is often an inanimate thing or causes the effect unintentionally (声音把我吵醒 = the noise woke me up).
Vietnamese learners often omit the result component after the verb, saying the truncated 声音把我吵 (wrong) instead of 声音把我吵醒了. Also, do not use purely perceptual/psychological verbs (喜欢, 知道) in a 把 sentence.
Examples
These shoes chafed my feet raw.
The noise outside woke me up.
He made everyone laugh until their stomachs hurt.
He made his father so angry that he could not sleep all night.
The child moved the mother so much that she shed tears.
Practice
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Learn ““把”字句4:表致使” effectively
The grammar point ““把”字句4:表致使” (The "把" sentence type 4: Expressing causation (致使)) is one of the key structures at HSK 6. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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