▎把, bǎ, (Ptc), V(一)V, Disposal with Verb Reduplication (4)

 

Function The VV pattern softens the action and also makes it brief. This pattern is often combined with the 把-construction in making requests or orders, indicating ‘doing something briefly to a noun’.

1 你把那本書看一看，再告訴我好不好看。

Nǐ bǎ nà běn shū kàn yí kàn, zài gàosù wǒ hǎo bù hǎokàn.

Take a look at that book then tell me if it’s any good.

2 小美把提出來的錢算一算，再去付學費。

Xiǎoměi bǎ tí chūlái de qián suàn yí suàn, zài qù fù xuéfèi.

Xiaomei counted the money she withdrew before going to pay her tuition.

3 請你把學校上課的情形跟新同學說一說。

Qǐng nǐ bǎ xuéxiào shàngkè de qíngxíng gēn xīn tóngxué shuō yì shuō.

Please tell the new students about how classes are conducted.

 

Structures The verb in ‘V一V’ has to be monosyllabic. Disyllable verbs are reduplicated as ABAB, e.g., 把東西收拾收拾！Bǎ dōngxi shōushí shōushí! ‘Clean up the stuff!’.

Negation：Not available.

Questions：Questions are formed with the 嗎 and 是不是 patterns.

1 你有空的時候，能不能請你把垃圾倒一倒？

Nǐ yǒu kòng de shíhòu, néng bù néng qǐng nǐ bǎ lèsè dào yí dào?

Could you take out (lit. dump, pour out) the garbage when you’re free?

2 媽，我是不是先把大白菜拌一拌再加鹽？

Mā, wǒ shìbúshì xiān bǎ dàbáicài bàn yí bàn zài jiā yán?

Mom, should I mix Chinese cabbage first, add salt later?

3 媽媽問小孩：「吃東西以前，你把手洗一洗了嗎？」

Māma wèn xiǎohái: ‘Chī dōngxi yǐqián, nǐ bǎ shǒu xǐ yì xǐ le ma?’

The mother asks the child, did you wash your hands before eating?