Basic 被 Passive in Chinese
被动句1
A basic passive sentence places the affected patient as subject and marks the passive relation with 被, 叫, or 让. The transitive verb normally carries an aspect marker, result, or other complement. Negation and modal verbs precede the passive marker, not the agent phrase.
Published August 10, 2026
Reviewed August 10, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
Patient Subject + 被/叫/让 + Agent + Transitive Verb + Other Element
Read the structure
A basic passive sentence places the affected patient as subject and marks the passive relation with 被, 叫, or 让. The transitive verb normally carries an aspect marker, result, or other complement. Negation and modal verbs precede the passive marker, not the agent phrase. Keep the model Patient Subject + 被/叫/让 + Agent + Transitive Verb + Other Element visible while you compare each sentence.
那个手机早被我用坏了。
That phone was used until I broke it.
Choose the right context
Focus on what happened to an affected patient. Name the agent with 被, 叫, or 让 when relevant. Complete the verb with an aspect marker, result, or complement.
我的词典叫弟弟弄脏了。
My dictionary was dirtied by my younger brother.
Respect the boundary
Do not use a bare transitive verb after the passive marker. Do not put 没有 or a modal between the marker and the agent. Do not reverse patient and agent roles.
被弟弟我的词典弄脏了。
(By younger brother my dictionary dirtied.)
Repair the pattern
The passive marker and agent are reversed: The patient is the subject before the passive marker; the agent follows 被, 叫, or 让. A modal is inserted after 被: 能 belongs before 被; it cannot split the passive marker from its following agent.
我的词典叫弟弟弄脏了。
Use the repaired structure without changing the intended meaning.
02 / MAP
Read the Sentence
Read from left to right and notice the job performed by each part. The labels describe this example; they are not a rule that every Chinese sentence must copy.
那个手机早被我用坏了。
That phone was used until I broke it.
那个
Patient Subject
This part occupies the Patient Subject position in the model pattern.
手机
被/叫/让
This part occupies the 被/叫/让 position in the model pattern.
早
Agent
This part occupies the Agent position in the model pattern.
被
Transitive Verb
This part occupies the Transitive Verb position in the model pattern.
我
Other Element
This part occupies the Other Element position in the model pattern.
用
Patient Subject
This part occupies the Patient Subject position in the model pattern.
坏
被/叫/让
This part occupies the 被/叫/让 position in the model pattern.
了
Agent
This part occupies the Agent position in the model pattern.
03 / EXAMPLES
Examples You Can Reuse
Keep the structure stable while changing the people, objects, times, or conditions. Pinyin is shown as reading support; use the Chinese sentence and translation to confirm the grammar relationship.
那个手机早被我用坏了。
That phone was used until I broke it.
我的词典叫弟弟弄脏了。
My dictionary was dirtied by my younger brother.
他完全让这位姑娘迷住了。
He was completely captivated by this young woman.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- Focus on what happened to an affected patient.
- Name the agent with 被, 叫, or 让 when relevant.
- Complete the verb with an aspect marker, result, or complement.
Do not use it when
- Do not use a bare transitive verb after the passive marker.
- Do not put 没有 or a modal between the marker and the agent.
- Do not reverse patient and agent roles.
05 / REPAIR
Compare Right and Wrong
Compare the smallest meaningful change. Each explanation identifies a placement, scope, form, or clause relationship instead of treating the whole sentence as one undifferentiated mistake.
被弟弟我的词典弄脏了。
我的词典叫弟弟弄脏了。
The passive marker and agent are reversed
The patient is the subject before the passive marker; the agent follows 被, 叫, or 让.
我的词典被能弟弟弄脏了。
我的词典能被弟弟弄脏。
A modal is inserted after 被
能 belongs before 被; it cannot split the passive marker from its following agent.
被弟弟我的词典弄脏了。
The patient is the subject before the passive marker; the agent follows 被, 叫, or 让.
我的词典被能弟弟弄脏了。
能 belongs before 被; it cannot split the passive marker from its following agent.
06 / PRACTICE
Practice the Grammar Point
Complete three short tasks in order: judge the pattern, repair a common error, and build the sentence. Feedback is fixed and reviewed, so these activities do not use a checker allowance.
1. Judge the sentence
2. Choose the correction
3. Build the sentence
Build a complete sentence with 被动句1.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 被动句1. Your draft moves to the checker through this browser session, selects this grammar point as the first review focus, and waits for you to submit.
08 / QUESTIONS
Basic 被 Passive Questions
Can 被 be omitted?
Yes, Mandarin also allows an unmarked passive in suitable contexts. This page focuses on the marked 被、叫、让 pattern listed by the official standard.
Why does the verb need an extra element?
The passive presents an affected result or event. Aspect, a result complement, or another predicate element makes that event explicit.
09 / SOURCES
Sources and Review Notes
These references support different parts of the lesson. GF0025-2021 supports level placement only; professional grammar works support the explanation, limits, examples, and cross-checks. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement.
Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (GF0025-2021)
Ministry of Education and State Language Commission · Ministry of Education of the PRC · 2021
Locator: Appendix A, Level 3 item 【三55】, PDF p. 207 (printed p. 201)
Lists 被动句1 and gives 被, 叫, and 让 passive examples with completed predicates.
Official source现代汉语语法课程讲义
包头师范学院 · 包头师范学院 · 2024
Locator: 被字句, p. 47
Defines patient subjects, 被/给/叫/让 markers, non-bare transitive verbs, and pre-marker negation or modal placement.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Compare
完/到/见Result Complements (完/到/见)
Compare a patient experiencing a passive event with a verb explicitly reaching a result.
Easy to confuse
让/叫让 / 叫: Make Someone Do
Separate passive 让 from causative 让 when the same marker introduces another person.
Continue learning
被 / 叫 / 让 + 施事 + 给 + 动词Colloquial Passive with 给 Before the Verb
Continue from the basic passive pattern to marked variants with 被、叫、让 and 给.
Continue learning
被The 被 (bèi) Passive
Continue from the focused basic passive examples to the broader 被 sentence inventory.
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Continue from the focused basic passive examples to the broader 被 sentence inventory.