Breakdown of tā sòng wǒ dào gōngsī, wǒ ràng tā fàngxīn.
我wǒ
I
他tā
he
公司gōngsī
company
我wǒ
me
他tā
him
让ràng
to let
到dào
to
送sòng
to take (someone to a place)
放心fàngxīn
to feel at ease
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Questions & Answers about tā sòng wǒ dào gōngsī, wǒ ràng tā fàngxīn.
What does 送 (sòng) mean here? Isn’t 送 also “to give (a gift)”?
Here 送 means “to take/see someone off; to drop someone off; to escort.”
- Escort/drop off: 送你到机场 (sòng nǐ dào jīchǎng) — take you to the airport.
- Deliver: 送外卖 (sòng wàimài) — deliver takeout.
- Give (as a gift): 送礼物 (sòng lǐwù) — give a present. Context tells you which meaning is intended.
Why is 到 (dào) used? Could I use 去 (qù) instead? What’s the nuance?
- 到 focuses on arrival at the destination (result): 送我到公司 — he got me all the way there.
- 去 focuses on the direction of movement: 送我去公司 — he took me toward/to the company (arrival is not highlighted). Both are natural here; 到 slightly emphasizes “reaching the place.”
Can I say 他送我公司 without 到/去?
No. After 送 (when used for accompanying/transporting), you normally need a directional element:
- Good: 送我到公司, 送我去公司, 送你回家 (here 回 itself is directional).
- Avoid: 送我公司 (unnatural).
What’s the word order around 送, the person, and the place?
The common pattern is: 送 + person/thing + 到/去 + place.
- Example: 他送我到公司 (tā sòng wǒ dào gōngsī). You can also drop the person/thing if context is clear: 送到公司 (deliver to the company). Avoid reordering like 送到公司我 — that’s incorrect.
Can I use 把 here, as in 他把我送到公司?
Yes. 他把我送到公司 is fine and slightly emphasizes the outcome of getting “me” to the destination. Without 把 is also perfectly natural; choose based on emphasis and rhythm.
Where do I put 了 to show the action is completed?
- Most natural: clause-final 了 — 他送我到公司了 (He’s already dropped me off).
- With 把: 他已经把我送到公司了.
- You’ll also see 送到了公司 when there’s no person interrupting: 他把包裹送到了公司. With “我,” 送我到公司了 tends to flow better than 送我到了公司.
Is 到 acting as a preposition or a result/directional complement here?
Here 到 functions as a directional/result complement with 送, indicating the result “reach.” It’s similar to saying “deliver to the point of arrival.” In other sentences, 到 can be a coverb/preposition (e.g., 到公司去 “go to the company”), but in 送到 it’s tightly bound to the verb as a resultative.
Why are both subjects repeated (他…,我…)? Could I drop the second 我?
Chinese often drops repeated subjects, but only when the subject stays the same. Here the subject switches from 他 to 我. If you drop 我, readers may assume the second clause still has 他 as subject, which would be confusing. So keep 我 to mark the subject change clearly.
Is the comma enough to connect the two ideas? Do I need 然后/于是/以后?
Yes, a comma commonly links sequential or related clauses. You can add a connector for clarity or style:
- Sequence: 他送我到公司,然后我让他放心。
- Cause-result-ish: 他很担心,我于是让他放心。
- Time: 他送我到公司以后,我让他放心。
What does 让 (ràng) mean here—“let,” “make,” or “ask/tell”?
All are possible shades of meaning for 让:
- Permit/advise: “let him feel at ease; tell him to relax.”
- Cause: “make him feel at ease.” Structure: 让 + someone + VP/Adj. It’s flexible and common in speech.
What’s the difference between 让, 叫, and 使 in this pattern?
- 让 (ràng): very common and neutral in speech/writing.
- 叫 (jiào): common in speech; can sound slightly stronger or more regional.
- 使 (shǐ): formal/literary; often used with adjectives/results. All can do: 让/叫/使 + 他 + 放心. In everyday talk, 让 is the safest default.
Is 放心 (fàngxīn) a verb or an adjective? How do I negate or intensify it?
放心 is a verb meaning “to be at ease; to set one’s mind at rest.”
- Negation: 不放心 — “not at ease; worried.”
- Degree: 很放心, 放心一点儿, 完全放心.
- Set phrase: 放心吧 — “Don’t worry.”
Can 放心 take a direct object? Is 我放心他 okay?
Normally 放心 doesn’t take a direct object. Use:
- 对 + N + 很放心: 我对他很放心 (I’m at ease about him).
- Or the negative idiom: 放心不下 + N: 我放心不下他 (I can’t stop worrying about him). Plain 我放心他 is not standard in formal usage, though you may hear it colloquially.
Other natural ways to say “I reassured him”?
- 我告诉他不用担心。 (I told him he didn’t need to worry.)
- 我让他别担心。 (I told him not to worry.)
- 我安慰了他。 (I comforted him.)
- 我劝他放心。 (I urged him to relax.)
Does 他 refer to the same person both times? What about gender in speech?
Yes, both 他 refer to the same person. In speech, 他/她/它 are all pronounced tā, so context disambiguates. In writing, choose 他 (he), 她 (she), 它 (it) appropriately.
Is 公司 the best word for “office/workplace”? How do 公司, 办公室, 单位 differ?
- 公司: company/business (the organization).
- 办公室: office room/office suite (the physical room/department).
- 单位: work unit/institution (often public sector or any employer as a unit). Here 公司 means “the company (workplace).” If you mean the specific office room, use 办公室.
What’s the difference between 送到 and 送给?
- 送到 + place: deliver/escort to a place — 送到公司.
- 送给 + person: give (a gift) to a person — 送给他一本书. Don’t mix them: you don’t say 送给公司 unless the company is the recipient of a gift.