Causative Loss 把 Construction in Chinese
把+施事+动词+了
This marked colloquial 把 construction presents the 把 object as the agent of an unwanted intransitive event whose occurrence adversely affects the subject, as in losing a spouse through death or departure. The GF item licenses the exact pattern. 把 precedes the agentive noun, while clause-final 了 closes the resulting event.
Published July 23, 2026
Reviewed July 23, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
Subject + 把 + Agentive Object + Intransitive Verb + 了
Read the structure
This marked colloquial 把 construction presents the 把 object as the agent of an unwanted intransitive event whose occurrence adversely affects the subject, as in losing a spouse through death or departure. The GF item licenses the exact pattern. 把 precedes the agentive noun, while clause-final 了 closes the resulting event. Keep the model Subject + 把 + Agentive Object + Intransitive Verb + 了 visible while you compare each sentence.
去年她把丈夫死了。
Last year she lost her husband when he died.
Choose the right context
Use it for an unwanted loss caused by the 把 object's intransitive event. Place the affected subject before the 把 phrase when expressed. Keep 了 after the intransitive event predicate.
钱没挣着，却把老公跑了。
She earned no money and instead lost her husband when he left.
Respect the boundary
Do not put 了 between 把 and its object. Do not put 了 before the intransitive verb. Do not generalize this marked pattern to ordinary neutral causation.
去年她把丈夫了死。
(Last year she lost her husband when he died.)
Repair the pattern
Aspect marker precedes the intransitive event verb: The event verb must directly follow the agentive 把 object, with 了 after the verb. Aspect marker splits 把 from its object: 把 must directly introduce its noun phrase; 了 cannot occur between 把 and 老公.
去年她把丈夫死了。
Use the repaired structure without changing the intended meaning.
02 / MAP
Read the Sentence
Read from left to right and notice the job performed by each part. The labels describe this example; they are not a rule that every Chinese sentence must copy.
去年她把丈夫死了。
Last year she lost her husband when he died.
去年
Subject
This part occupies the Subject position in the model pattern.
她
把
This part occupies the 把 position in the model pattern.
把
Agentive Object
This part occupies the Agentive Object position in the model pattern.
丈夫
Intransitive Verb
This part occupies the Intransitive Verb position in the model pattern.
死了
了
This part occupies the 了 position in the model pattern.
03 / EXAMPLES
Examples You Can Reuse
Keep the structure stable while changing the people, objects, times, or conditions. Pinyin is shown as reading support; use the Chinese sentence and translation to confirm the grammar relationship.
去年她把丈夫死了。
Last year she lost her husband when he died.
钱没挣着，却把老公跑了。
She earned no money and instead lost her husband when he left.
他一直担心自己把合伙人走了。
He kept worrying that his partner would leave him.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- Use it for an unwanted loss caused by the 把 object's intransitive event.
- Place the affected subject before the 把 phrase when expressed.
- Keep 了 after the intransitive event predicate.
Do not use it when
- Do not put 了 between 把 and its object.
- Do not put 了 before the intransitive verb.
- Do not generalize this marked pattern to ordinary neutral causation.
05 / REPAIR
Compare Right and Wrong
Compare the smallest meaningful change. Each explanation identifies a placement, scope, form, or clause relationship instead of treating the whole sentence as one undifferentiated mistake.
去年她把丈夫了死。
去年她把丈夫死了。
Aspect marker precedes the intransitive event verb
The event verb must directly follow the agentive 把 object, with 了 after the verb.
钱没挣着，却把了老公跑了。
钱没挣着，却把老公跑了。
Aspect marker splits 把 from its object
把 must directly introduce its noun phrase; 了 cannot occur between 把 and 老公.
去年她把丈夫了死。
The event verb must directly follow the agentive 把 object, with 了 after the verb.
钱没挣着，却把了老公跑了。
把 must directly introduce its noun phrase; 了 cannot occur between 把 and 老公.
06 / PRACTICE
Practice the Grammar Point
Complete three short tasks in order: judge the pattern, repair a common error, and build the sentence. Feedback is fixed and reviewed, so these activities do not use a checker allowance.
1. Judge the sentence
2. Choose the correction
3. Build the sentence
Build a complete sentence with 把+施事+动词+了.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 把+施事+动词+了. Your draft moves to the checker through this browser session, selects this grammar point as the first review focus, and waits for you to submit.
08 / QUESTIONS
Causative Loss 把 Construction Questions
Is the 把 object a patient here?
No. In this marked construction it is the agent of the intransitive event.
Is this construction neutral and broadly productive?
No. It is marked, colloquial, and associated with unwanted loss affecting the subject.
09 / SOURCES
Sources and Review Notes
These references support different parts of the lesson. GF0025-2021 supports level placement only; professional grammar works support the explanation, limits, examples, and cross-checks. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement.
Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (GF0025-2021)
Ministry of Education and State Language Commission · Ministry of Education of the PRC · 2021
Locator: GF0025-2021 Appendix A, official combined Levels 7-9 item 【七—九088】 (PDF p. 252)
Provides official combined Levels 7-9 directory placement and examples only; it does not establish the learner-facing usage explanation.
Official sourceModern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide, 3rd ed.
Ross, Ma, Chen, He and Yeh · Routledge · 2024
Locator: Chapter 20, sections 20.1 and 20.3, 把 predicates and aspect; Google Books preview pages PT204-PT209
Supports 把 before its noun phrase and an affected-subject interpretation; GF supplies this exact marked causative-loss pattern.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Compare
兼语句Pivotal Sentences
Distinguish the disadvantageous disposal or loss construction of 把施事动词了 from the command perception chain of 兼语句, and check the post-component role of 把.
Compare
受事主语Patient-Initial Clauses
Compare 把施事动词了 to foreground the affected persons and introduce 施事 and 受事主语 sentences to directly state the object status, paying attention to event responsibilities.
Continue learning
把The 把 (bǎ) Sentence
把 The special 把施事动词了 is put back into the 把 sentence system, and the completeness and pragmatic limitations of the processing results are continued to be checked.
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Continue learning
把 The special 把施事动词了 is put back into the 把 sentence system, and the completeness and pragmatic limitations of the processing results are continued to be checked.