Preposition “help” – bāng

In Chinese grammar, the word 幫帮 bāng typically functions as a verb meaning “to help” or “to assist.” It is used to indicate the action of aiding someone or providing assistance in a particular situation.

Structure

(S) + bāng + people + V + (O)

他tā幫bāng我wǒ寫xiě作業zuòyè他tā帮bāng我wǒ写xiě作业zuòyè
He helps me with my homework.

你nǐ能néng幫bāng我wǒ嗎ma？ 你nǐ能néng帮bāng我wǒ吗ma？
Can you help me?

請qǐng幫bāng我wǒ跟gēn老師lǎoshī說shuō请qǐng帮bāng我wǒ跟gēn老师lǎoshī说shuō
Please tell the teacher for me.

我wǒ幫bāng你nǐ吧ba我wǒ帮bāng你nǐ吧ba
I’ll help you.

你nǐ幫bāng不幫bùbāng我wǒ練習liànxí中文zhōngwén？ 你nǐ帮bāng不帮bùbāng我wǒ练习liànxí中文zhōngwén？
Will you help me practice Chinese?

In Chinese, there are a few words that, when you want to negate them, require placing the negation marker (不 bù or 没 méi) before the preposition, rather than before the verb. 幫帮 bāng is one of these words.

他tā沒méi幫bāng我wǒ他tā没méi帮bāng我wǒ
He didn’t help me.

我wǒ沒méi幫bāng他tā買飯mǎifàn我wǒ没méi帮bāng他tā买饭mǎifàn
I didn’t buy food for him.

我wǒ不想bùxiǎng幫bāng你nǐ我wǒ不想bùxiǎng帮bāng你nǐ
I don’t want to help you.

你nǐ為什麼wèishénme不bù幫bāng我wǒ加jiā糖táng？ 你nǐ为什么wèishénme不bù帮bāng我wǒ加jiā糖táng？
Why don’t you add sugar for me?

Real Life Conversation

In casual or informal conversations, especially when seeking help from friends or acquaintances, it’s common in Mandarin Chinese to add 一下 yíxià after a verb or to repeat the word 帮 bāng to soften the tone and make the request sound more friendly or polite.

你nǐ能néng幫bāng我wǒ看kàn一下yíxià這個zhège嗎ma？ 你nǐ能néng帮bāng我wǒ看kàn一下yíxià这个zhège吗ma？
Could you help me take a look at this?

能néng不能bùnéng幫幫bāngbāng我wǒ， 告訴gàosù我wǒ餐廳cāntīng在zài哪nǎ？ 能néng不能bùnéng帮帮bāngbāng我wǒ， 告诉gàosu我wǒ餐厅cāntīng在zài哪nǎ？
Could you help me and tell me where the restaurant is?

這zhè太tài重zhòng了le， 你nǐ能néng幫bāng我wǒ一下yíxià嗎ma？ 这zhè太tài重zhòng了le， 你nǐ能néng帮bāng我wǒ一下yíxià吗ma？
This is too heavy, could you help me for a bit?