把 (bǎ) moves the object in front of the verb, so the sentence can say what happened to it: where it went, what state it ended up in, or whether the action was finished. It is one of the key grammar points of HSK 3.
Subject + 把 + object + verb + something else.
In a normal sentence the object comes after the verb. With 把, it comes before the verb, and the end of the sentence tells you the result. Compare 我吃了苹果 (I ate an apple) with 我把苹果吃了 (I ate the apple, and now it is gone).
The most common mistake with 把 is to end the sentence on a bare verb. 我把作业做 is not a complete sentence. After the verb, add a result such as 完 or 坏, a direction such as 走, a place with 在, a person with 给, or a short 一下.
The object of 把 is usually something specific that both speakers know about: the door, this book, my computer.
把 is the natural way to say where you put something (verb + 在 + place) or who you give it to (verb + 给 + person). Requests often start with 请.
To say something didn't happen, put 没有 before 把, not before the verb. To tell someone not to do it, use 别 or 不要, also before 把.
Every example on this page uses only words up to HSK 3. Paste your own sentences into the level checker to see which words, if any, are above your level.