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HSK 2 Preposition 给 (gěi): Introducing Targets and Beneficiaries
In Chinese, the word 给 (gěi) functions not only as the verb meaning to give, but also as a high-frequency preposition meaning to or for. Under the HSK 2 grammar outline, prepositional 给 (gěi) is placed before the main verb to introduce the target, recipient, or beneficiary of an action.
我晚上给妈妈打电话。
Correct pre-verbal placement: 给妈妈 (gěi māma) comes before the verb-object phrase 打电话 (dǎ diànhuà).
× 他昨天给我没回信息。
Incorrect negation placement: In standard neutral statements, do not put 没 (méi) between 给我 (gěi wǒ) and the main verb. Use 他昨天没给我回信息 instead.
Corrected example: 他昨天没给我回信息。
Read the full explanation and examples
What Does Prepositional 给 (gěi) Do?
Beginners usually first meet 给 (gěi) as a standalone verb meaning to give. However, in the HSK 2 grammar syllabus, 给 (gěi) is categorized under prepositions (介词, jiècí) that introduce the target or object of an action (引出对象).
When used as a preposition, 给 (gěi) no longer expresses a physical act of handing something over by itself. Instead, it combines with a person or group to show who receives the action or who benefits from it. Depending on the main verb in the sentence, it translates into English as to or for.
- Introducing the target or recipient (to someone): Used with communication or interaction verbs such as calling, writing, replying, or introducing.
- Introducing the beneficiary (for someone): Used when doing a service or task on someone else's behalf, such as cooking, buying items, or opening a door.
Core Word Order: Before the Main Verb
For the pre-verbal beneficiary/recipient pattern taught first here, use 给 + person before the action: 给妈妈打电话, 给我做早饭. Chinese also has natural post-verbal 给 constructions. Learn which construction you are using instead of treating “every preposition must precede every verb” as a golden rule.
我晚上给妈妈打电话。
Correct pre-verbal placement: 给妈妈 (gěi māma) comes before the verb-object phrase 打电话 (dǎ diànhuà).
奶奶每天给我做早饭。
Correct beneficiary usage: 给我 (gěi wǒ) precedes the action 做早饭 (zuò zǎofàn).
我给你介绍一下我的新朋友。
Correct target usage: 给你 (gěi nǐ) introduces the listener receiving the introduction.
Notice how time words like 晚上 (wǎnshang, evening) or 每天 (měitiān, every day) appear before the 给 (gěi) phrase. This follows the standard Mandarin flow: Subject, then Time, then the Prepositional Phrase, and finally the Main Verb and its Object.
Where to Place Negation and Modal Verbs
When making a sentence negative with 不 (bù) or 没 (méi), or when adding a modal verb like 想 (xiǎng, want to) or 会 (huì, will), you must place the negation word or modal verb before 给 (gěi), not between the recipient and the main verb.
他昨天没给我回信息。
Correct negation order: 没 (méi) is placed before the prepositional phrase 给我 (gěi wǒ).
Think of the prepositional phrase and the verb phrase as a single bundled action. You negate the entire bundle from the front rather than splitting the prepositional phrase away from the verb.
Useful Contrasts: Verb vs. Preposition vs. Post-Verbal 给
Because 给 (gěi) wears multiple grammatical hats in Chinese, it helps to separate three patterns that look similar on the surface.
First, when 给 (gěi) is the only verb in the clause, it is a main verb meaning to give. It can take aspect particles like 了 (le) directly after it, followed by two objects: the recipient and the item given.
爸爸给了我五十块钱。
Contrast example: Here 给 (gěi) is the main verb of the sentence, not a preposition.
Second, with a specific group of transfer verbs—such as 寄 (jì, to mail), 送 (sòng, to give as a gift or deliver), 借 (jiè, to lend), and 还 (huán, to return)—给 (gěi) can attach directly after the main verb to mark where the item goes.
姐姐寄给我一本书。
Contrast example: With transfer verbs like 寄 (jì), 给 (gěi) can attach directly after the verb before the direct object.
Recipient placement and negation contrasts
Do not mark every post-verbal 给 phrase as a translation error. Compare the following acceptable variants with the earlier pre-verbal models. Choose a model by construction and register; the outline’s label 给 as a preposition does not ban its other grammatical uses.
我晚上打电话给妈妈。
打电话给妈妈 is an attested recipient-after-verb phrase, particularly common in some regional varieties. 给妈妈打电话 is a broadly useful beginner model. Do not mark the former as universally ungrammatical or claim that the outline itself bans it.
奶奶每天做早饭给我。
This can be natural as making breakfast and providing it to me, with register or regional variation. The basic pre-verbal beneficiary model 奶奶每天给我做早饭 is also natural. They are alternatives, not a universally wrong/correct pair.
For the neutral meaning “did not reply to me”, use 没给我回信息. A fronted recipient can have a marked contrastive reading in conversation, so the following alternative is unsuitable for the unmarked model rather than impossible in every discourse context.
× 他昨天给我没回信息。
Incorrect negation placement: In standard neutral statements, do not put 没 (méi) between 给我 (gěi wǒ) and the main verb. Use 他昨天没给我回信息 instead.
Corrected example: 他昨天没给我回信息。
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if prepositional 给 (gěi) means 'to' or 'for'?
Look at the main verb. With verbs of communication or showing—like 打电话 (dǎ diànhuà, to make a phone call) or 介绍 (jièshào, to introduce)—给 (gěi) points to the recipient and means 'to'. With task or service verbs—like 做饭 (zuòfàn, to cook) or 买东西 (mǎi dōngxi, to buy things)—it usually marks the beneficiary and means 'for'.
Does seeing this in HSK 2 mean my upcoming test uses this exact syllabus?
This grammar item is listed at Level 2 in the 2025-11 HSK outline (labeled for 2026-07 implementation). Because actual test administration varies by test center and booking date, check with your official testing provider to confirm which syllabus edition applies to your specific exam.
