被-sentence (advanced)
HSK 5- Passive (把/被)
Structure (结构 jiégòu)
Meaning (意思 yìsi)
The 被 sentence is used to express that the subject is acted upon by another agent, usually carrying an undesirable connotation.
Explanation (解释 jiěshì)
The 被 (bèi) sentence is used to express passive actions, in which the subject is the recipient of the action. Unlike a simple passive construction, this structure typically specifies who/what caused the action (placed after 被).
An important point is that after the verb there must be an additional element, such as a resultative complement (坏, 走), an aspect particle (了, 过), or other components. The sentence cannot end with a bare verb. 被 sentences generally carry an undesirable or negative connotation.
Examples (例句 lìjù)(5)
- 我的蛋糕被弟弟吃了。Wǒ de dàngāo bèi dìdi chī le.
My cake was eaten by my younger brother.
- 他的手机被小偷偷走了。繁: 他的手機被小偷偷走了。Tā de shǒujī bèi xiǎotōu tōu zǒu le.
His cell phone was stolen by a thief.
- 窗户被风刮破了。繁: 窗戶被風颳破了。Chuānghu bèi fēng guā pò le.
The window was broken by the wind.
- 他的计划被老板否定了。繁: 他的計劃被老闆否定了。Tā de jìhuà bèi lǎobǎn fǒudìng le.
His plan was rejected by his boss.
- 这本书已经被人借走了。繁: 這本書已經被人借走了。Zhè běn shū yǐjīng bèi rén jiè zǒu le.
This book has already been borrowed by someone.
Common mistakes
- Wrong:我的手机被偷。Correct:我的手机被偷了。
After the verb in a 被 sentence, there must be another element such as 了 or a resultative complement (走); the verb cannot stand alone.
- Wrong:我被弟弟吃了蛋糕。Correct:我的蛋糕被弟弟吃了。
The subject of a 被 sentence must be the object receiving the action. "I" is not being eaten; rather, "my cake" is.