Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 被
We often use the passive voice when we cannot control the result of something.
被 (bèi) is one of the most prevalent expresses the passive voice in Chinese.
Let’s learn more about 被 and how to use it to talk about certain circumstances.
HOW TO USE 被?
“被字句”(bèi-structure) is a type of passive sentence structure using 被 to indicate the agent who has performed the given action or verb.
被 sentences are not the only way to create the passive verb form in Chinese, but they are the most common and the type to tackle first.
It is mainly used in sentences with a negative meaning, for instance, unfortunate circumstances such as car crashes, objects being stolen, etc.
CREATING SENTENCES WITH 被
Remember the normal sentence structure in Chinese? That’s right:
PATTERN
Subject + Verb + Object
Now, let’s see the impact of 被 on a whole sentence. In the passive structure led by 被, you need to rearrange the sentence elements.
The Object (recipient of the action) should be placed before, while the subject is placed at the end of the sentence. The basic structure of 被 sentence is:
PATTERN
Subject (Recipient of the action) + 被 + Doer of the action (optional) + Verb
Here are some detailed examples to better explain this structure:
Active voice sentence (without 被)
Passive voice sentence (with 被)
To be clearer, let’s look into the structure of the first example.
| 杯子 | 被 | 我 | 打碎 | 了。 |
| Subject (Recipient of the action) | 被 | Doer of the action (optional) | Verb | Complement |
PASSIVE SENTENCES WITHOUT A DOER
Sometimes 被 structure can also be used without specifying who did the action.
In this case, who did the action is unknown or not important. The speaker wants to stress the result other than the cause of the matter.
PATTERN
Subject (Recipient of the action)+ 被 + Verb Phrase
One thing you should notice is that 被 cannot be used with a simple one-syllable verb. You need something after the verb.
Did you noticed that there’s always a complement following it, for example, 了 in the previous example sentences?
You can also accompany the verb with a resultative, degree, or directional complement, a particle, and more.
For instance:
| The kitten was hit by a car. | ❌ 小猫被车撞。 | ✅ 小猫被车撞了。 | ✅ 小猫被车撞伤了 |
| Snacks are eaten by me. | ❌ 零食被我吃。 | ✅ 零食被我吃了。 | ✅ 零食被我吃完了。 |
Now that you’ve know the basic pattern, it’s time to go deeper!
NEGATING 被 SENTENCES
What if you want to make the sentence negative?
To negate a 被 sentence, you just need to insert 没 or 没有 directly in front of 被.
But note that in negative passive sentences, you cannot use 了 since the action didn’t complete. You can use other complements.
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 昨天的派对我没有被邀请。 | zuó tiān de pài duì wǒ méi yǒu bèi yāo qǐng . | I wasn’t invited to the party yesterday. |
| 失踪的小猫没有被找到。 | shī zōng de xiǎo māo méi yǒu bèi zhǎo dào . | The missing kitten has not been found. |
| 他的想法没有被大家采纳。 | tā de xiǎng fǎ méi yǒu bèi dà jiā cǎi nà . | His idea was not adopted by everyone. |
| 电脑没有被修好。 | diàn nǎo méi yǒu bèi xiū hǎo . | The computer was not repaired. |
MODAL VERBS & ADVERBS IN 被 SENTENCES
What if you want to include adverbs in your 被 sentence? Where should those go?
Modal verbs, such as 想, 要, 能, 可以, 应, and adverbs, such as 常, 都, 就, 还, 已经 and so on are all placed before 被.
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 这种说法还没有被官方认可。 | zhè zhǒng shuō fǎ hái méi yǒu bèi guān fāng rèn kě . | This claim has not been officially recognized. |
| 我不想被大家取笑。 | wǒ bù xiǎng bèi dà jiā qǔ xiào . | I don’t want to be made fun of by everyone. |
| 我们都被老师表扬了。 | wǒ men dōu bèi lǎo shī biǎo yáng le . | We were all praised by the teacher. |
| 凶手已经被抓到了。 | xiōng shǒu yǐ jīng bèi zhuā dào le . | The murderer has been caught. |
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FAQs
What is 被?
“被字句”(bèi-structure) is a type of passive sentence structure using 被 to indicate the agent who has performed the given action or verb.
被 sentences are not the only way to create the passive verb form in Chinese, but they are the most common and the type to tackle first.
It is mainly used in sentences with a negative meaning, for instance, unfortunate circumstances such as car crashes, objects being stolen, etc.
What is the 被 sentence structure?
The basic Chinese sentence structure is Subject + Verb+ Object.
In the passive structure led by 被, you need to rearrange the sentence elements.
The Object (recipient of the action) should be placed before, while the subject is placed at the end of the sentence. The basic structure of 被 sentence is:
Subject (Recipient of the action) + 被 + Doer of the action (optional) + Verb
杯子被我打碎了。| The cup was broken by me.
我的手机被小偷偷走了。| My mobile phone was stolen by a thief.
我被老师批评了。| I was scolded by the teacher.
How to use 被 in a negative sentence?
To negate a 被 sentence, you just need to insert 没 or 没有 directly in front of 被.
But note that in negative passive sentences, you cannot use 了 since the action didn’t complete. You can use other complements.
昨天的派对我没有被邀请。| I wasn’t invited to the party yesterday.
失踪的小猫没有被找到。| The missing kitten has not been found.
How to use 被 with modal verbs and adverbs?
Modal verbs, such as 想, 要, 能, 可以, 应, and adverbs, such as 常, 都, 就, 还, 已经 and so on are all placed before 被.
我不想被大家取笑。| I don’t want to be made fun of by everyone.
我们都被老师表扬了。| We were all praised by the teacher.
凶手已经被抓到了。| The murderer has been caught.
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