bīnyǔ: 宾语 - Object (in grammar)

• Keywords: 宾语, bīnyǔ, Chinese grammar object, direct object in Chinese, indirect object in Chinese, Chinese sentence structure, what is an object in Mandarin, SVO structure, Subject-Verb-Object, Mandarin grammar, learn Chinese grammar.
• Summary: Understand the 宾语 (bīnyǔ), the 'object' in Chinese grammar. This comprehensive guide explains what the 宾语 is, its crucial role in the standard SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) sentence structure, and provides clear, practical examples. Learn to identify and correctly use direct and indirect objects to build natural-sounding Mandarin sentences and master this fundamental concept.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): bīn yǔ
• Part of Speech: Noun (Grammatical Term)
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: The object is the part of a sentence that receives the action of a verb.
• In a Nutshell: In Chinese grammar, the 宾语 (bīnyǔ) is simply the 'object' of a sentence. It's the person, place, or thing that the verb is acting upon. Think of the universal structure in “I eat an apple”: “I” is the subject, “eat” is the verb, and “an apple” is the 宾语 (bīnyǔ). Understanding how to place the object correctly is the first step to forming coherent sentences in Chinese.

• 宾 (bīn): This character originally depicted a person arriving as a guest under a roof. Its core meaning is “guest” or “visitor.” In the context of grammar, you can think of the object as the “guest” of the sentence—it's the passive recipient of the action hosted by the subject and verb.
• 语 (yǔ): This character is composed of the radical for “speech” (言) and the phonetic component 吾 (wú), meaning “I” or “my.” It means “language,” “speech,” or “word.”
• Together, 宾语 (bīnyǔ) literally translates to “guest word.” This wonderfully illustrates its grammatical function: it's the word in the sentence that receives the action, much like a guest receives hospitality.

While a purely grammatical term, the concept and placement of the 宾语 (bīnyǔ) reveal key aspects of the Chinese linguistic mindset. Like English, the standard, unmarked sentence structure in Chinese is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). This provides a comfortable starting point for English speakers. `我爱你 (Wǒ ài nǐ)` maps perfectly to “I love you.” This directness and shared basic logic form a crucial bridge for learners. However, the key difference lies in flexibility and focus. Chinese often manipulates the object's position to change the sentence's emphasis, something less common in English. The famous 把 (bǎ) construction, for example, pulls the 宾语 (bīnyǔ) from after the verb to before it (`S + 把 + O + V`). This structure emphasizes the *disposal* of the object—what happened to it, what the result of the action was. Compare:

• SVO: `我喝了那杯茶。 (Wǒ hēle nà bēi chá.)` - “I drank that cup of tea.” (A neutral statement of fact).
• 把-structure: `我把那杯茶喝了。 (Wǒ bǎ nà bēi chá hē le.)` - “I took that cup of tea and drank it.” (Focus is on the tea being finished, its state has changed).

This focus on the result and the fate of the object is a distinct feature of Chinese expression, showing a preference for highlighting the outcome of an action.

The 宾语 is a fundamental building block of nearly every Chinese sentence. Understanding its types and placement is non-negotiable for fluency.

This is the most common and straightforward structure. The object directly follows the verb.

• Subject + Verb + Object
• `我 / 看 / 电视。 (Wǒ / kàn / diànshì.)` - I / watch / TV.

Some verbs, like `给 (gěi)` (to give), `送 (sòng)` (to gift), and `教 (jiāo)` (to teach), can take two objects: an indirect object (usually a person) and a direct object (usually a thing). The indirect object comes first.

• Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object
• `他 / 教 / 我 / 汉语。 (Tā / jiāo / wǒ / Hànyǔ.)` - He / teaches / me / Chinese.

Sometimes, the object of a verb is not a simple noun, but another action. Verbs like `喜欢 (xǐhuan)` (to like), `开始 (kāishǐ)` (to start), and `决定 (juédìng)` (to decide) often take verb phrases as their objects.

• `我喜欢看书。 (Wǒ xǐhuan kànshū.)` - I like to read books. (Here, “to read books” is the object of “like”).

• Example 1:
  • 我爱我的家。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ ài wǒ de jiā.
  • English: I love my family/home.
  • Analysis: A classic SVO sentence. `我的家` is the object receiving the action of the verb `爱` (love).
• Example 2:
  • 她在商店买一件衣服。
  • Pinyin: Tā zài shāngdiàn mǎi yī jiàn yīfu.
  • English: She buys a piece of clothing at the store.
  • Analysis: This shows how prepositional phrases like `在商店` (at the store) come before the verb, while the object `一件衣服` comes after.
• Example 3:
  • 老师问学生一个问题。
  • Pinyin: Lǎoshī wèn xuéshēng yī ge wèntí.
  • English: The teacher asks the student a question.
  • Analysis: An example of a double object. `学生` (student) is the indirect object, and `一个问题` (a question) is the direct object.
• Example 4:
  • 你想喝什么？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xiǎng hē shénme?
  • English: What do you want to drink?
  • Analysis: In Chinese questions, the question word like `什么` (what) stays in the position of the object it is replacing.
• Example 5:
  • 我不喜欢这种天气。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ bù xǐhuan zhè zhǒng tiānqì.
  • English: I don't like this kind of weather.
  • Analysis: A negative sentence. The negation `不 (bù)` comes before the verb, but the object's position remains unchanged.
• Example 6:
  • 我弟弟每天都玩电脑游戏。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ dìdi měitiān dōu wán diànnǎo yóuxì.
  • English: My younger brother plays computer games every day.
  • Analysis: `电脑游戏` is a compound noun acting as a single object. Adverbs like `每天都` (every day) are placed before the verb.
• Example 7:
  • 我们决定明天去爬山。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen juédìng míngtiān qù páshān.
  • English: We decided to go hiking tomorrow.
  • Analysis: Here, the entire clause `明天去爬山` (to go hiking tomorrow) functions as the object of the verb `决定` (to decide).
• Example 8:
  • 请把这本书给我。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng bǎ zhè běn shū gěi wǒ.
  • English: Please give this book to me.
  • Analysis: A classic example of the `把` construction. The object `这本书` is moved before the verb `给` to emphasize the action's effect on the book.
• Example 9:
  • 他告诉我一个秘密。
  • Pinyin: Tā gàosù wǒ yī ge mìmì.
  • English: He told me a secret.
  • Analysis: Another double object sentence. `我` (me) is the indirect object, and `一个秘密` (a secret) is the direct object.
• Example 10:
  • 你看见我的手机了吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ kànjiàn wǒ de shǒujī le ma?
  • English: Did you see my phone?
  • Analysis: A typical yes/no question using `了吗 (le ma)`. The object `我的手机` stays in its standard position after the verb.

• Mistake 1: Placing Adverbs After the Object. English speakers are used to `[Subject] [Verb] [Object] [Place] [Time]`. In Chinese, the order is `[Subject] [Time] [Place] [Verb] [Object]`.
  • Incorrect: `我吃了晚饭在家里昨天。 (Wǒ chīle wǎnfàn zài jiālǐ zuótiān.)`
  • Correct: `我昨天在家里吃了晚饭。 (Wǒ zuótiān zài jiālǐ chīle wǎnfàn.)`
  • Why: Adverbial phrases modifying the verb must come before it. The object generally stays close to its verb.
• Mistake 2: “Dangling Verbs”. In English, you can say “I'm eating” or “He's reading.” In Chinese, verbs often feel incomplete without an object, even a generic one. It's more natural to specify what is being eaten or read.
  • Okay, but less common: `我在吃。 (Wǒ zài chī.)`
  • More natural: `我在吃饭。 (Wǒ zài chīfàn.)` - I'm eating (a meal).
  • Why: `吃饭 (chīfàn)`, `看书 (kànshū)`, `开车 (kāichē)` are common verb-object compounds that are used as a single unit of meaning.
• Mistake 3: Confusing Topic-Comment with SVO. Chinese is a “topic-prominent” language. Sometimes, the object is moved to the very beginning of the sentence to act as the “topic” being discussed. This can look like an error to learners expecting strict SVO.
  • SVO: `我吃完了那个苹果。 (Wǒ chī wán le nàge píngguǒ.)` - I finished eating that apple.
  • Topic-Comment: `那个苹果，我吃完了。 (Nàge píngguǒ, wǒ chī wán le.)` - (As for) that apple, I finished eating it.
  • Why: This isn't a mistake, but a different structure used for emphasis. Recognizing this pattern is key to understanding natural spoken Chinese.

• 主语 (zhǔyǔ) - Subject. The doer of the action, the counterpart to the 宾语.
• 谓语 (wèiyǔ) - Predicate. The part of the sentence containing the verb; what the subject does.
• 动词 (dòngcí) - Verb. The action word itself, which links the subject and object.
• SVO结构 (SVO jiégòu) - SVO Structure. The standard Subject-Verb-Object sentence order in Chinese and English.
• 直接宾语 (zhíjiē bīnyǔ) - Direct Object. The main noun that directly receives the action (e.g., the “book” in “give me the book”).
• 间接宾语 (jiànjiē bīnyǔ) - Indirect Object. The recipient for or to whom the action is done (e.g., “me” in “give me the book”).
• 把字句 (bǎzìjù) - “Ba” sentence. A specific grammatical structure that moves the 宾语 before the verb to emphasize disposal or result.
• 被字句 (bèizìjù) - “Bei” sentence (Passive voice). A structure where the 宾语 of an action becomes the subject of the sentence.