HSK 3
The 被 (bèi) Passive in Chinese
The 被 sentence makes the receiver the topic and says something was done to it: receiver + 被 + doer + verb + extra. 我的手机被偷了 — my phone was stolen. In a completed event, the verb is commonly followed by 了, a result, or a directional complement. The doer can be dropped when it's unknown or obvious.
STRUCTURE
Receiver + 被 + Doer + Verb + extra
When to use 被 — and when not
Use it when
- Something happened to the subject, often unwanted: 我的自行车被人偷了。
- Naming who did it, right after 被: 蛋糕被弟弟吃了。
- Dropping the doer when it's unknown: 窗户被打破了。
Don't use it when
- Treating every English passive as 被 — Chinese often prefers an active sentence, especially for neutral facts。
- Neutral or positive everyday facts — Chinese uses 被 far less than English; prefer active: 老师表扬了我。
- Feeling or state verbs (是, 有, 喜欢) — they can't take 被。
Right vs. wrong
我的手机被了小偷偷。
我的手机被小偷偷了。
了 placed directly after 被
被 is followed by the doer and verb. For this completed event, 了 follows 偷, not 被: 我的手机被小偷偷了。
小偷被我的手机偷了。
我的手机被小偷偷了。
Receiver and doer swapped
In 被, the thing acted on comes first and the doer follows 被: receiver + 被 + doer + verb. The phone is what's stolen, so 手机 leads and 小偷 sits after 被.
Examples
我的手机被偷了。
Wǒ de shǒujī bèi tōu le.
My phone was stolen.
蛋糕被弟弟吃了。
Dàngāo bèi dìdi chī le.
The cake was eaten by my little brother.
窗户被打破了。
Chuānghu bèi dǎ pò le.
The window was broken.
他被老师批评了。
Tā bèi lǎoshī pīpíng le.
He was criticized by the teacher.
那本书被借走了。
Nà běn shū bèi jiè zǒu le.
That book was borrowed (taken away).
Common mistakes
我的手机被了小偷偷。
Wǒ de shǒujī bèi le xiǎotōu tōu.
Put the doer and verb after 被, then 了: 我的手机被小偷偷了。
小偷被我的手机偷了。
Xiǎotōu bèi wǒ de shǒujī tōu le.
The receiver leads, the doer follows 被: 我的手机被小偷偷了。
我被喜欢中文。
Wǒ bèi xǐhuan Zhōngwén.
Feeling verbs can't take 被; use active: 我喜欢中文。
Think you've got it?
Write your own 被 sentence and check that grammar point first.
The 被 (bèi) Passive FAQ
When do I use the 被 sentence?
When something is done to the subject, often unwanted: 我的车被拖走了 (my car got towed). Chinese uses 被 far less than the English passive — for neutral facts an active sentence sounds more natural.
Can I leave out the doer?
Yes. If the doer is unknown or obvious, drop it: 窗户被打破了 (the window was broken). Name it after 被 only when it matters: 被弟弟打破了。
How does 被 relate to 把?
They're mirror images. 把 puts the doer first and stresses what they did (我把手机弄丢了); 被 puts the receiver first (手机被我弄丢了). Both need something after the verb.