Mandarin · Chapter 13 · Lesson 8 · Grammar primer
The 把 (bǎ) construction
Fronting a definite object with 把 to say what was done to it: Subject + 把 + Object + Verb + completion (了 / 完 / a result or direction / 到/在/给 + endpoint). Why a bare verb is not allowed (我把书看完了, not 我把书看), and how negation sits before 把 (我没把门关上).
The short version
把 (bǎ) will not let the verb stand bare
把 (bǎ) announces the thing you disposed of, so the listener is waiting to hear how. A bare verb leaves that promise unpaid: 我把书看 (wǒ bǎ shū kàn) is not a sentence. Land the verb with 了 (le), a resultative like 完 (wán) or 好 (hǎo), a directional, or an endpoint with 到 (dào) / 在 (zài) / 给 (gěi) / 成 (chéng).
我把书看完了。 Wǒ bǎ shū kàn wán le.
Negation jumps in front of 把 (bǎ)
把 (bǎ) takes the verb hostage at the end of the clause, so everything that would normally hug the verb migrates to the front. 没 (méi), 别 (bié), 想 (xiǎng), 已经 (yǐ jīng) and 先 (xiān) all sit before 把 (bǎ), never next to the buried verb. 我把门没关上 (wǒ bǎ mén méi guān shàng) is wrong.
我没把门关上。 Wǒ méi bǎ mén guān shàng.
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