给 (gěi) — to give; for (someone)

给 (gěi)

给 means "to give" as a main verb and "for" or "to" as a preposition indicating the recipient or beneficiary of an action.

Meanings

1. [verb] To give; to hand over (something to someone).
2. [preposition] For; to (indicating the recipient before the main verb).

Example Sentences

我给你一本书。 Wǒ gěi nǐ yī běn shū. I give you a book.

妈妈给我做了饭。 Māma gěi wǒ zuò le fàn. Mom made food for me.

你可以给我打电话吗？ Nǐ kěyǐ gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà ma? Can you give me a call?

请把这个给他。 Qǐng bǎ zhège gěi tā. Please give this to him.

Usage Notes

As a main verb, 给 follows the standard Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object pattern: 我给你钱 (I give you money). As a preposition, 给 comes after the subject and before the main verb to indicate who benefits: 我给你买水果 (I will buy fruit for you). In many sentences the two uses look similar — the key is whether 给 is the only verb or whether a second verb follows it.

Collocations or Common Phrases

Memory Hook

给 contains 糸 (silk thread) — imagine passing a thread from your hands to someone else's, a direct handoff.