In this article, we’ll seek to illustrate the main prepositions used in the modern Chinese language.
Prepositions that indicate the beneficiary of an action carried out by someone else
给 (gěi) “for”
他给我买了一本书。
Tā gěi wǒ mǎi le yī běn shū.
He bought a book for me.
爸爸给我买了的书，我很喜欢。
Bàba gěi wǒ mǎi de shū, wǒ hěn xǐhuan.
I really like the book that my father bought me.
替 (tì) “in place of”
他替我买了一本书.
Tā tì wǒ mǎi le yī běn shū.
He bought a book for me (in the sense that he physically went to buy the book in my place and used my money).
In an informal conversation, 替 can be substituted with 帮 (bāng).
为 (wèi) “for”
Important: used with this function, this character is read with the fourth tone.
他为我买了一本书。
Tā wèi wǒ mǎi le yī běn shū.
He bought a book for me.
我们为人民服务。
Wǒmen wèi rénmín fúwù.
We are at the service of the people.
Final and causal prepositions
The final preposition indicates the end toward which an action or state of things is directed. The character used for this construction is 为 (wèi), which can be translated as “for” or “to the end of” (as before, this character is used in the fourth tone). 为了 (wei le) placed at the beginning of the phrase introduces a causal preposition “because of/for”.
我妈妈为我牺牲了她的一辈子。
Wǒ māma wèi wǒ xīshēng tā de yī bèizi.
My mother has sacrificed her entire life for me.
我妈妈为我的将来担心。
Wǒ māma wèi wǒ de jiānglái dānxīn.
My mother worries for my future.
为了买房子他决定打工。
Wèi le mǎi fángzi tā juédìng dǎ gōng.
To buy a house, he decided to do little jobs.
Objective propositions
Objective propositions are phrases that correspond to the complement object of the verb of the main clause. The objectives or incorporate are introduced by verbs like to judge, to believe, to think, to see, and so on.
我想她很漂亮。
Wǒ xiǎng tā hěn piàoliang.
I think that she is pretty.
我想他不愿意。
Wǒ xiǎng tā bù yuànyì.
I think that he doesn’t want it.
我觉得他不来。
Wǒ juéde tā bù lái.
I think that he won’t come.
我认为他不想看书。
Wǒ rènwéi tā bù xiǎng kànshū.
I think that he doesn’t want to read.
我以为你已经走了。
Wǒ yǐwéi nǐ yǐjing zǒu le.
I thought (wrongly) that you already left.
Causative verbs
Causative verbs also called doable, express an action not done by the subject but done by others. The most used causative verbs are: to ask, to pray, to let, to make sure that, to permit.
请 (qǐng ) “to ask, to pray, to invite”
他请一个朋友来他那里。
Tā qǐng yī ge péngyou lái tā nàli.
He invited his friend to come with him.
请你学习。
Qǐng nǐ xuéxí.
Study, please.
让 (ràng) “to make sure that, to let”
老师让学生明白。
Lǎoshī ràng xuésheng míngbai.
The professor makes sure that the students understand.
让我看。
Ràng wǒ kàn.
Let me watch.
A structure that’s often used is the following:
Subject + 叫 (jiào)/ 让 (ràng) + 你 (nǐ) / 他 (tā) + Verb, 你 (nǐ )/ 他 (tā) 就 (jiù) + Verb
我叫你吃饭，你就吃饭。
Wǒ jiào nǐ chīfàn, nǐ jiù chīfàn.
If I tell you to eat, you eat (that’s it).
With this structure, the speaker makes sure that the listener does what the speaker says, without giving them the chance to reply.
