把 bǎ puts the spotlight on an object, and a direction complement shows where that object moves: take the trash out, put the shoes in, bring the cup over.
一 Quick Review: Direction Complements
A direction complement shows which way an action moves. Quick review:
They combine into compound complements, like 走進去 zǒu jìnqù走进去 zǒu jìnqu (walk in), 拿出來 ná chūlái拿出来 ná chūlai (take out, toward me), and 搬回去 bān huíqù搬回去 bān huíqu (move back, away from me).
二 把 + O + V + Direction Complement
把 + Object + Verb + Direction Complement
With 把 bǎ, the object comes before the verb, and the direction complement goes at the end. Negatives and adverbs go before 把 bǎ.
把垃圾垃圾拿出去出去
Take the trash out.
孩子把褲子裤子脫脱下來下来
The child took his pants off.
把錢钱全部拿出來出来
Take out all the money!
請请把水杯拿過來过来給给我
Please bring the water glass over to me.
別别把手機手机從从包包包包裡里拿出來出来
Don’t take your phone out of your bag.
別 bié别 bié goes before 把 bǎ.
三 With a Place
把 + Object + Verb + Direction + Place (+ 來来 / 去)
When there’s a place, it goes right after the direction word. You can add 來 lái来 lái or 去 qù at the end to show the direction relative to the speaker.
把鞋子放進进鞋櫃鞋柜裡里
Put the shoes in the shoe cabinet.
我可以把貓猫帶带回家嗎吗？
Can I take the cat home?
把這些这些箱子搬上樓楼去
Move these boxes upstairs.
四 Why Use 把?
Why 把 bǎ? Chinese usually puts the most important information first. 把 bǎ moves the object to the front, turning “an object” into “the object,” and leaves the verb at the end, where the direction complement can show exactly what happened to it.
Without 把
拿出來出来你的手機手机
Take out your phone. (Neutral.)
With 把
把你的手機手机拿出來出来
Take your phone out. (The focus is on the phone.)
五 Common Mistakes
❌ 把垃圾垃圾拿
✅ 把垃圾垃圾拿出去出去
A 把 bǎ sentence needs something after the verb. Here, the direction complement does the job.
❌ 把手機手机別别拿出來出来
✅ 別别把手機手机拿出來出来
Negatives go before 把 bǎ.
❌ 把貓猫帶带回去回去家
✅ 把貓猫帶带回家去
The place goes between the direction word and 來来 / 去.
六 Practice
Tap the words below in the right order to build the sentence, then check your answer. If it’s wrong, you can try again as many times as you like, or hit “Show answer” if you get stuck. Careful: some tiles are traps and are not needed!
Question 1 of 10
“Take your book out.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
把書书拿出來出来
Starting with 你 nǐ is also correct.
把 bǎ + object + V + complement.
“Put the milk back in the fridge.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
把牛奶放回冰箱裡里
Leaving out 裡里 is also fine.
Back → 回 huí.
“Bring the chair over here.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
把椅子搬過來过来
Toward the speaker → 來 lái来 lái.
“Don’t take the cat outside.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
別别把貓猫帶带出去出去
Away from here → 出去 chūqù出去 chūqu.
“He took his coat off.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
他把外套脫脱下來下来了
Leaving out 了 is also correct.
Taking clothes off → 脫下來 tuō xiàlái脱下来 tuō xiàlai.
