This article explores the features of unaccusative ‘give’ constructions in Chinese, and distinguishes the pathways for their apparition in some Chinese dialects, especially Southern Min and Mandarin varieties. It distinguishes two main pathways in the evolution of unaccusative ‘give’ constructions, to wit, the causative pathway and the passive-mediated pathway. The assay also traces how the unaccusative ‘give’ construction evolves into a marker of adversity and speaker affectedness.