把-Sentence 5: Causative with Agent Object
"把"字句5：表致使
Understand and use the advanced 把-sentence pattern where 把 marks an agent that undergoes an unexpected change
In this advanced 把-construction, the noun after 把 is not a typical patient (the thing acted upon) but rather an agent or possessor who undergoes a change — often an unfortunate or unexpected one. The subject (if present) experiences the loss or departure of the person/thing marked by 把.
This is a causative use of 把: the situation causes the agent to do something (leave, die, etc.). It often expresses misfortune. Example: 把丈夫死了 literally means "had her husband die on her." The subject is an experiencer, not an actor.
Lesson Targets
Podcast
Podcast: 把-Sentence 5: Causative with Agent Object ("把"字句5：表致使)
Listen to Jason & Amy explain the "把"字句5：表致使 pattern
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Understanding "把"字句5：表致使
Most 把-sentences you have learned follow the pattern: Subject 把 Patient Verb — where the subject acts on the patient. But in this advanced pattern, the noun after 把 is not a patient but an agent or possessor who undergoes an unfortunate change. Consider 她把丈夫死了 — this does not mean "she killed her husband" but rather "her husband died on her" (she suffered his death). The 把 here marks a person closely connected to the subject who undergoes a change that affects the subject adversely. This is sometimes called the "adversative 把" because it typically expresses misfortune. Another example: 钱没挣着，却把老公跑了 (Didn't earn any money, and on top of that her husband ran off). The husband is the one who ran away (agent), but the subject is the one who suffers the consequence. This pattern is common in northern Chinese dialects and colloquial speech.
Key Points
- In this pattern, the noun after 把 is an agent/possessor, not a patient.
- The subject is an experiencer who suffers the consequence of the change.
- Often expresses misfortune, loss, or adverse events.
- Common verbs: 死 (die), 跑 (run away), 走 (leave), 病 (get sick).
- Dialectal and colloquial — more common in northern Chinese and spoken language.
- Different from standard 把: Subject acts ON patient vs. Subject suffers FROM agent's change.
This causative 把-construction reflects the Chinese linguistic tendency to frame events from the experiencer's perspective. Rather than saying "her husband died," Chinese can say "she had her husband die on her" — placing the emotional weight on the person who suffers the loss.
Key Vocabulary
Example Sentences
去年她把丈夫死了，后来父母也去世了。
Last year she lost her husband (he died), and later her parents passed away too.
Causative 把: she suffered her husband's death
钱没挣着，却把老公跑了。
She didn't earn any money, and on top of that her husband ran off.
Causative 把: the husband left, and she suffered
他把女朋友气走了。
He made his girlfriend so angry that she left.
Causative: his behavior caused her to leave
这家人真不幸，把两个孩子都病倒了。
This family is truly unfortunate — both children fell ill.
Adversative 把: the family suffered the children's illness
他把邻居搬走了，现在隔壁空着。
His neighbor moved away (on him), and now the place next door is empty.
这个老板可真倒霉，把三个员工都辞职了。
This boss is really unlucky — three employees all resigned on him.
Common Mistakes
把丈夫死了 does NOT mean she killed him. It means he died and she suffered the loss. This is the causative/adversative 把, not the standard disposal 把.
The causative 把 is specifically when the noun after 把 is an agent who acts on their own (dies, leaves, gets sick). 我把手机掉了 is border-line — the phone is a patient. The true causative pattern involves people or living beings.
Practice Exercises
Tips & Tricks
When you see 把 + person + intransitive verb (死, 跑, 走, 病), think "causative 把" — the subject suffered.
This pattern is colloquial and regional (northern Chinese) — you will hear it more than read it.
Do not confuse this with the standard 把 where the subject acts on the object.
The key test: if the noun after 把 is doing the action (dying, leaving), it is the causative pattern.
Homework
Write four sentences using the causative 把-construction to describe unfortunate events that happened to someone (loss of a family member, a friend moving away, an employee quitting, etc.).