Definition
还给 is a verb-preposition compound combining 还 (huán, 'to return') and 给 (gěi, 'to'). It means 'to return something to someone'. The recipient always follows 给. This compound can be separated when aspect markers (了, 过) or the direct object appear between 还 and 给, e.g., 还了一本书给他 ('returned a book to him'). It is frequently used with the 把 construction to foreground the object being returned.
v.
to return (something) to (someone)
Examples
- 还给。Wǒ bǎ nà běn shū huán gěi tā le.I returned that book to him.
- 。Tā huán le yì běn xiǎoshuō gěi péngyou.She returned a novel to a friend.
- 还给。Zhèxiē gōngjù nǐ yīnggāi huán gěi gōngsī.You should return these tools to the company.
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