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我在饭店里把晚饭吃了吗 =》 My textbook gives me the correct one: 我在饭店里吃晚饭了。

My questions are

(1) Why do this sentence not use 把 structure?

(2) If I rewrite as below, which is grammatically correct?

  • 我在饭店里把三碗米饭吃了。

  • 我在饭店里把三碗米饭吃完了。

  • 我在饭店里把晚饭吃过三次。(In the restaurant I have had the dinner three times)

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    I don't think there are grammar mistakes in your sentences. The issue is about idiomatic and usage in contexts.
    – dan
    Jun 3, 2020 at 4:23
  • @dan I agree that, and the third one is different means, could change like: "我在饭店里吃过三次晚饭" would be better.
    – 高鵬翔
    Jun 5, 2020 at 5:31

2 Answers 2

3

Usually when you use 把 you are using passive mode. That was not needed here. You're basically saying "at the restaurant, the rice was consumed by me." It is understandable, but it is also rather awkward.

I would have to say all three of your alternate versions have the same problem.

a) I, at the restaurant, 3 bowls of rice were consumed

b) I, at the restaurant, 3 bowls of rice were fully consumed

c) I, at the restaurant, 3 dinners were consumed.

It would be far more natural to use active vice:

d) 我在飯店裏吃了三碗飯

e) no need to say 吃完了, it is implied

f) I would have said 我去過那家飯店三次了 without specifying dinner. But that's just me.

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  • Hmm it's so difficult to know when to use 把. After reviewing some questions involving 把, I learn that maybe at first I should notice the meaning and natural tone of the sentence.
    – Jenny
    Jun 3, 2020 at 4:40
  • If I want to say "I have had the dinner in that restaurant three times" in Chinese, how do I say?
    – Jenny
    Jun 3, 2020 at 4:44
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    I probably would have said 我在那家飯店吃過三次晚飯了! Jun 3, 2020 at 4:50
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I think the better answer will be 我在那家饭店吃过三次晚饭。 我在饭店里吃了晚饭。

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  • BTW, when using 把, it seems that we stress that we are the controller. For example, 我把他们收拾了一顿。=我教训了他们一顿。=I gave them a lesson./I beat them. the first sentence stresses 我, and the second stresses 教训(beat, give them a lesson)
    – user25471
    Jun 3, 2020 at 21:56
  • You might need to read the question carefully...
    – zyy
    Jun 8, 2020 at 4:26

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