Colloquial Passive with 给 Before the Verb in Chinese
被 / 叫 / 让 + 施事 + 给 + 动词
In a colloquial passive, 给 may appear immediately before the verb phrase after an expressed agent introduced by 被, 叫, or 让. The patient is the subject, the agent follows the passive marker, and 给 reinforces the affected passive event. This 给 does not introduce a recipient and is not required in every passive sentence.
Published August 3, 2026
Reviewed August 3, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
Patient Subject + 被 / 叫 / 让 + Agent + 给 + Verb Phrase
Read the structure
In a colloquial passive, 给 may appear immediately before the verb phrase after an expressed agent introduced by 被, 叫, or 让. The patient is the subject, the agent follows the passive marker, and 给 reinforces the affected passive event. This 给 does not introduce a recipient and is not required in every passive sentence. Keep the model Patient Subject + 被 / 叫 / 让 + Agent + 给 + Verb Phrase visible while you compare each sentence.
杯子被她不小心给摔碎了。
The cup was accidentally broken by her.
Choose the right context
Form a colloquial passive with an expressed agent. Place 给 immediately before the passive verb phrase. Emphasize that the patient was affected by the completed event.
自行车叫小偷给偷走了。
The bicycle was stolen by a thief.
Respect the boundary
Do not place 给 before the passive marker. Do not put 给 between the passive marker and its agent. Do not interpret this 给 as a recipient marker.
杯子给被她摔碎了。
(The cup gei was by her broken.)
Repair the pattern
给 is placed before the passive marker: The passive marker 被 introduces the agent 她, and 给 then stands before the verb 摔碎. 给 separates the passive marker from its agent: 叫 must be followed by the expressed agent 小偷; 给 belongs after that agent and before the verb.
杯子被她给摔碎了。
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.
杯子被她不小心给摔碎了。
The cup was accidentally broken by her.
杯子
Patient Subject
This part occupies the Patient Subject position in the model pattern.
被
被 / 叫 / 让
This part occupies the 被 / 叫 / 让 position in the model pattern.
她
Agent
This part occupies the Agent position in the model pattern.
不小心
给
This part occupies the 给 position in the model pattern.
给
Verb Phrase
This part occupies the Verb Phrase position in the model pattern.
摔碎
Patient Subject
This part occupies the Patient Subject position in the model pattern.
了
被 / 叫 / 让
This part occupies the 被 / 叫 / 让 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.
杯子被她不小心给摔碎了。
The cup was accidentally broken by her.
自行车叫小偷给偷走了。
The bicycle was stolen by a thief.
这件事差点儿让我给忘了。
I almost forgot this matter.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- Form a colloquial passive with an expressed agent.
- Place 给 immediately before the passive verb phrase.
- Emphasize that the patient was affected by the completed event.
Do not use it when
- Do not place 给 before the passive marker.
- Do not put 给 between the passive marker and its agent.
- Do not interpret this 给 as a recipient marker.
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.
杯子给被她摔碎了。
杯子被她给摔碎了。
给 is placed before the passive marker
The passive marker 被 introduces the agent 她, and 给 then stands before the verb 摔碎.
自行车叫给小偷偷走了。
自行车叫小偷给偷走了。
给 separates the passive marker from its agent
叫 must be followed by the expressed agent 小偷; 给 belongs after that agent and before the verb.
杯子给被她摔碎了。
The passive marker 被 introduces the agent 她, and 给 then stands before the verb 摔碎.
自行车叫给小偷偷走了。
叫 must be followed by the expressed agent 小偷; 给 belongs after that agent and before the verb.
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 / 叫 / 让 + 施事 + 给 + 动词.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 被 / 叫 / 让 + 施事 + 给 + 动词. 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
Colloquial Passive with 给 Before the Verb Questions
Is 给 required after the agent?
No. It is a colloquial option that reinforces the passive event; an ordinary passive can omit it.
Is this the recipient use of 给?
No. Here 给 occurs before the passive verb phrase and does not identify someone receiving an object.
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 6 item 【六41】, PDF p. 239 (printed p. 233)
Places the patient + 被/叫/让 + agent + 给 + verb passive pattern at Level 6.
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: 几种动词谓语句, 被字句, pp. 46–47
Defines 被, 给, 叫, and 让 as passive markers or elements in passive constructions and describes patient-subject order.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Continue learning
被The 被 (bèi) Passive
Place optional colloquial 给 inside the broader passive system headed by 被.
Easy to confuse
让/叫让 / 叫: Make Someone Do
让叫 can mark causation or introduce a passive agent, with context and structure selecting the reading.
Compare
意念被动句Notional Passive without 被
The colloquial 给 frame overtly marks passive structure, unlike a markerless notional passive.
Compare
被……所……被…所…: Formal Passive
Compare colloquial preverb 给 with the formal written passive frame 被…所….
RECOMMENDED NEXT
Continue learning
Place optional colloquial 给 inside the broader passive system headed by 被.