Breakdown of jìrán gōngshuǐ huīfù le, jiù bǎ shōujù gěi wǒ.
Used after a verb. Marks that an action is completed.
Questions & Answers about jìrán gōngshuǐ huīfù le, jiù bǎ shōujù gěi wǒ.
What does 既然 mean here, and how is it different from 因为?
既然 means since, now that, or given that. It introduces something that is already accepted as true, and then the speaker draws a conclusion or gives a suggestion/command based on that fact.
So in this sentence, 既然供水恢复了,就把收据给我 means something like:
- Now that the water supply has been restored, give me the receipt.
This is different from 因为, which simply gives a reason:
- 因为供水恢复了,所以把收据给我。
That version is grammatically possible, but it sounds less natural in this context. 既然...就... is especially common when the speaker is saying, essentially, since this is the case, then do this.
A useful contrast:
- 因为 = because
- 既然 = since / now that / given that
既然 often has a stronger sense of we already know this, so the next step follows naturally.
Why is 就 used after 既然?
就 often appears in the pattern 既然...就....
This pattern means:
- since A is true, then B follows
- now that A has happened, then do B
So:
- 既然供水恢复了,就把收据给我。
The 就 marks the result, conclusion, reaction, or next step.
You can think of it as:
- 既然 = given that...
- 就 = then...
In English, we do not always need to say then, but in Chinese this pairing is very natural.
What exactly does 供水恢复了 mean?
供水 means water supply or water service.
- 供 = supply / provide
- 水 = water
So 供水恢复了 means:
- the water supply has been restored
- water service is back
This does not just mean the water recovered. It refers specifically to the system of supplying water.
Some related expressions:
- 恢复供水 = restore water supply
- 供水中断 = water supply is interrupted
- 停止供水 = stop supplying water
In your sentence, 供水 is the thing that has returned to normal.
How does 恢复 work here?
恢复 means to recover, to restore, or to return to normal.
It can be used in two main ways:
Intransitive: something returns to normal
- 供水恢复了 = the water supply has been restored / returned to normal
Transitive: someone restores something
- 恢复供水 = restore the water supply
So the word itself can behave a bit like both recover and restore depending on context.
In your sentence, it is being used in the first way:
- 供水恢复了
Literally: water supply recovered
Natural English: the water supply has been restored
What is the 了 doing in 恢复了?
The 了 here marks a new situation or change of state.
So 恢复了 tells us that the water supply was not normal before, but now that condition has changed.
Compare:
- 供水恢复 = restore water supply / water supply recover(s)
- 供水恢复了 = the water supply has now been restored
This 了 is not exactly the same as the English past tense. It is more about:
- completion
- change
- a new relevant state
In this sentence, the important idea is:
- before: no water supply / interrupted water
- now: supply is back
That changed situation is what licenses the next action: 就把收据给我.
Why is 把 used in 就把收据给我?
The 把 construction is used when the speaker wants to bring the object forward and focus on what is done with that object.
Basic pattern:
- 把 + object + verb + other elements
Here:
- 把收据给我
- literally: take the receipt and give it to me
Without 把, a normal order would be:
- 就给我收据
But that is not the same. 给我收据 usually sounds more like give me a receipt in general, not necessarily hand over that receipt.
With 把, the sentence clearly treats 收据 as a specific object that should be disposed of in a certain way:
- hand the receipt over to me
So 把 helps express what should happen to the receipt.
Why is 给 after 收据? Is 给 a verb or a preposition here?
Here 给 is functioning as the main verb to give.
Structure:
- 把 + 收据 + 给 + 我
So the object affected is 收据, and the action done with it is give to me.
You can think of it as:
- take the receipt and give it to me
In many beginner sentences, learners see:
- 给我一本书 = give me a book
But with 把, the object often comes first:
- 把书给我 = give me the book
So yes, 给 still means give here. The word order changes because of the 把 construction.
Could I say 既然供水恢复了,就给我收据 instead?
You could say it, but it would likely sound less natural or mean something slightly different.
- 把收据给我 = give me the receipt
- 给我收据 = give me a receipt / the receipt, but the wording is less focused on handling that specific object
The version with 把 is better if the receipt is already known and specific, and the speaker is telling someone what to do with it.
So in this context, 把收据给我 sounds more natural because it means:
- hand over the receipt to me
That is more precise than just 给我收据.
Why is there no word like the or a before 收据?
Mandarin does not have articles like a or the.
Whether 收据 means a receipt or the receipt depends on context.
In this sentence, it most naturally means the receipt, because:
- the speaker seems to have a specific receipt in mind
- the 把 construction often works with a definite or identifiable object
- the context suggests a known item connected to the restored water supply
So although Chinese says just 收据, English would probably translate it as:
- the receipt
Why is there no subject like you in the second half of the sentence?
Chinese often omits subjects when they are obvious from context.
So:
- 就把收据给我
does not explicitly say you, but it is understood as a command:
- then give me the receipt
- then you can give me the receipt
This is very common in Mandarin. If the listener is clear from context, Chinese often leaves it unstated.
Likewise, the first part also does not say who restored the water supply. It just states the situation:
- 供水恢复了 = the water supply has been restored
Chinese often focuses on the event or state rather than naming every participant.
Could 供水恢复了 also be said as 恢复供水了?
They are related, but not exactly the same.
供水恢复了 = the water supply has been restored / recovered
This focuses on the state of the water supply.恢复供水了 = (someone) restored the water supply / water service has been resumed
This focuses more on the action of restoring.
In your sentence, 供水恢复了 fits well because the speaker is talking about the current condition as an established fact:
- the water supply is back
If you said 既然恢复供水了 instead, it would sound more like:
- now that water service has been resumed
That can also work, but the original phrasing is very natural.
Is 既然...就... always used for logic, or can it sound like a command?
It can do both.
It often expresses a logical conclusion:
- 既然知道了,就别再问了。
Since you already know, then don’t ask again.
But it is also very common for giving advice, suggestions, or commands based on an accepted fact:
- 既然来了,就坐吧。
Since you’re here, have a seat. - 既然没事了,就回家吧。
Since everything’s fine now, go home.
In your sentence, it definitely has that command/suggestion based on circumstances feeling:
- Now that the water supply is back, give me the receipt.
So yes, 既然...就... is not only about abstract logic. It is also used very naturally in everyday speech when one fact leads to a practical next step.
What tone does this sentence have? Is it neutral, polite, or a bit direct?
It sounds fairly direct.
- 就把收据给我。 = then give me the receipt.
There is no softening word like:
- 吧
- 请
- 麻烦你
So depending on context, it may sound like:
- a straightforward instruction
- a practical reminder
- or even a bit blunt
For example, softer versions could be:
- 既然供水恢复了,就把收据给我吧。
Now that the water supply has been restored, give me the receipt, okay. - 既然供水恢复了,请把收据给我。
Now that the water supply has been restored, please give me the receipt.
The original sentence is not rude by itself, but it is definitely more direct than a softened version.
Is this a common kind of sentence pattern I should learn as a chunk?
Yes. The pattern 既然...就... is very useful and worth learning as a fixed structure.
A good template is:
- 既然 + fact/situation, 就 + conclusion / action
Examples:
- 既然你知道,就告诉我。
Since you know, then tell me. - 既然下雨了,就别去了。
Since it’s raining, then don’t go. - 既然决定了,就坚持下去。
Since you’ve decided, then stick with it.
Your sentence follows exactly that pattern:
- 既然供水恢复了,就把收据给我。
If you learn this as a chunk, it will help you sound more natural when expressing:
- since that’s the case...
- now that this has happened...
- given that..., then...
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