把…当作／看作…
to treat A as B; to regard A as B
Structure
把 A 当作／看作／当成 B
What it means
“To treat A as B; to regard A as B”.
How it is built
把 + A + 当作／看作／当成 + B: 很多人把8看作发财的数字 (many people regard 8 as the number that makes you rich).
When to use it
看作 is about opinion; 当作 about how you use or treat something; 当成 is spoken and also covers mistakes: 我把他当成了他哥哥 (I took him for his brother). Passive: A 被看作 B; formal writing: 视为.
Watch out
Don’t drop 把: ✗ 人们看作4不吉利的数字。 ✓ 人们把4看作不吉利的数字。 Without 把, say 4被看作不吉利的数字 or 人们认为4不吉利.
Examples
很多人把8看作发财的数字。
Many people regard 8 as the number that makes you rich.
她一直把房东当作自己的家人。
She has always treated her landlord as one of the family.
别把我的话当成玩笑。
Do not take what I say as a joke.
Learn this in Lesson 37 · HSK 5–6: 讨个吉利 (Lucky numbers and lucky words)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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