Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 予 | yǔ | /y²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) | |
| 給 / 给 | gěi | ||
| 遞 / 递 | dì | ||
| 予 | ú, ír, í | /u⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Sinological IPA) /ɯ⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien |
The concept of giving, or transferring the possession of something to someone else, is expressed through various words in Chinese. The most common way to say 'give' in everyday Mandarin is 给 (gěi). If you are specifically referring to the act of handing over or passing an object from one person to another, use 递 (dì).
Which one should you use?
The forms differ significantly in usage and tone. In contrast, 予 (ú, ír, í) is much more formal and literary. While the other forms focus on general giving or handing over, 递 (dì) is a specific form meaning 'to hand over' or 'to pass' an object.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form ги (gi) is used in Dungan, and the form 予 (ú, ír, í) is used in Hokkien.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Mandarin, the common verb 给 (gěi) can also function as a preposition meaning 'to' or 'for' when placed before a person, such as in the phrase '给我' (gěi wǒ), which means 'give to me' or 'for me'.
How do you pronounce it?
The Hokkien form 予 is pronounced as ú, ír or í (/y²¹⁴/).
Did you know?
- In some linguistic theories, the word 予 is not originally Chinese but was borrowed from an ancient language family called Kra-Dai.
- The character 遞 (dì), meaning 'to hand over', contains a radical that literally means 'to walk' or 'to go'.
Examples in context
- 賦予自己價值。Give yourself value.This sentence uses 予 to demonstrate giving value to oneself.Tatoeba #13138878 by LeviHighway, translation #11995132 by LdjuherTaqvaylit
- 他请求她给予优待。He asked her to give him preferential treatment.This sentence uses 予 to show a formal request for the giving of preferential treatment.Tatoeba #332618 by popolady, translation #4753801 by garborg
- 我将赠送一本书给你。I will give you a book as a present.
- 请将报告交给经理。Please give the report to the manager.
- 我们应该给予他更多的支持。We should give him more support.
- 请给我一杯水。Please give me a glass of water.
- 把钥匙递给我。Pass the key to me.
- 我想给你一份礼物。I want to give you a gift.
- 给建议 – gěi jiànyìGive advice
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zhiqiang is handing a book to Zihan.
- 志强 Zhiqiang這本書予你。che se bu yu liGive this book to you.
- 梓涵 Zihan謝謝你，志強。xia sie li, Zhi-qiangThank you, Zhiqiang.
- 志强 Zhiqiang不用客氣。bu iong kha khiYou're welcome.
- 梓涵 Zihan我很喜歡這本書。wa chin gai huan che se buI like this book very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “give” translations and entries 予, 予, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 予, 給, 遞, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
