Cantonese Object Focus Auxiliar

Mandarin word order is very strict, as we have seen. But in some cases, you can actually shift the word order around for emphasis.

Use the particle 把 to bring focus to the object of an action by moving it up to the front of the sentence.

把你的包给我

Give me your bag.

This particular construction (“As for … give it to me”) is very common in spoken language, making up the majority of everyday uses of 把.

Here are some other ways you can use 把:

你先把这个拿开一下

First, take this out of the way.

我已经把你的东西卖了

I’ve already sold your things.