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I saw this in the subtitles of a TV show:

我的手被虫子给咬了。

Why 给 is used in that sentence?

Without considering 给, I've translated it to:

My hand was bitten by an insect.

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  • They have the same meaning. I cannot say there's a difference between them. Though I cannot answer why.
    – fefe
    May 22, 2012 at 1:24
  • 我的手被虫子给咬了 = 我的手被虫子咬了 Your translation is correct.
    – Dante WWWW
    May 22, 2012 at 2:18
  • To confuse you further: 我的手给虫子咬了. May 22, 2012 at 2:54
  • Let's add to the confusion: 我嘅手俾蚊咬咗. :-)
    – dda
    May 24, 2012 at 13:42
  • @dda That's Cantonese, right?
    – dusan
    May 25, 2012 at 0:45

2 Answers 2

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给 is part of the passive structure of the sentence you've cited. It can be used before the verb either with or without another passive marker (like the neutral 被 or the colloquial 让 or 叫). It doesn't change the meaning of the sentence though, as dacongy mentioned, it can add emphasis.

Here are some example sentences:

衣服[让]他给弄脏了。
The clothes were dirtied by him.

这个杯子[叫]我给打碎了。
The glass was broken by me.

Confusingly, 给, like 叫 and 让, can also be used as a passive marker by itself in sentences like the following

门给风吹开了。
The door was blown open by the wind.

孩子给妈妈打了一顿。
The children were given a beating by their mother.

In the above sentences, 给 could be replaced with 叫, 让, or 被 with no change in meaning. (The register and regional flavor will be slightly different.)

This paper, "北京话“给”字被动句的地位及其历史发展 (PDF)", which I haven't yet had a chance to read, analyzes the use of 给 in passive sentences (被动句) in Beijing dialect. I skimmed the abstract and it seemed like it might be illuminating.

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They are almost the same, and in most cases it only depends on what prefer to say. But one small piece of difference that I, as a native speaker, can sense is that: the one without 给 sounds more flat, meaning that the one who says it doesn't treat it like a big deal; the one with 给 seems a bit stronger. If you know the pronunciation, you can try to read them out loud, and feel the difference.

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