Lesson 2: Passive Voice with 被
Learn how to express passive constructions in Chinese using 被, 让, and 叫, and understand when passive voice is appropriate in Mandarin.
Overview
Chinese passive sentences are formed differently from English. The marker 被 (bèi) introduces the agent (the one performing the action) and the verb must carry a complement showing the result or impact. Passive constructions in Chinese typically describe undesirable or notable events, making them distinct from the neutral passive voice in English.
Learning Objectives
- Form passive sentences using 被, 让, and 叫 with correct word order
- Understand that Chinese passive usually implies a negative or significant outcome
- Use 遭到 and 受到 for formal passive expressions
- Identify when 被 is optional versus required
Vocabulary
| Character | Pinyin | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 被 | bèi | prep | by (passive marker) | 被人偷了 |
| 让 | ràng | prep | by (colloquial passive) | 让雨淋湿了 |
| 叫 | jiào | prep | by (colloquial passive) | 叫他骗了 |
| 打 | dǎ | verb | to hit, to beat | 被打了一下 |
| 骗 | piàn | verb | to deceive, to cheat | 被骗了很多钱 |
| 偷 | tōu | verb | to steal | 钱包被偷了 |
| 遭到 | zāodào | verb | to suffer, to encounter (formal) | 遭到批评 |
| 受到 | shòudào | verb | to receive, to be subjected to | 受到表扬 |
| 批评 | pīpíng | verb/noun | to criticize; criticism | 受到批评 |
| 表扬 | biǎoyáng | verb/noun | to praise; praise | 受到表扬 |
| 损坏 | sǔnhuài | verb | to damage | 被损坏了 |
| 丢 | diū | verb | to lose, to misplace | 手机被丢了 |
| 误解 | wùjiě | verb | to misunderstand | 被误解了 |
| 忘记 | wàngjì | verb | to forget | 被忘记了 |
Grammar Focus
Pattern 1: Subject + 被 + Agent + Verb + Complement
Structure: Subject + 被 + (Agent) + Verb + Result/Complement
This is the standard 被 passive. The agent can be omitted if unknown or unimportant. The verb must be followed by a complement, 了, or another element; a bare verb after 被 is ungrammatical.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我的钱包被人偷走了。 | Wǒ de qiánbāo bèi rén tōuzǒu le. | My wallet was stolen by someone. |
| 那扇窗户被风吹坏了。 | Nà shàn chuānghù bèi fēng chuīhuài le. | That window was broken by the wind. |
| 他被老师批评了一顿。 | Tā bèi lǎoshī pīpíng le yī dùn. | He was severely criticized by the teacher. |
Common mistake: Omitting the complement. 我的书被拿 is wrong. Say 我的书被拿走了.
Pattern 2: Colloquial Passive with 让 and 叫
Structure: Subject + 让/叫 + Agent + Verb + Complement
让 and 叫 function as passive markers in spoken Chinese, especially in northern dialects. They carry the same negative implication as 被 and require the same verb complement rule.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我让雨淋湿了。 | Wǒ ràng yǔ línshī le. | I got soaked by the rain. |
| 钱叫他骗走了。 | Qián jiào tā piànzǒu le. | The money was cheated away by him. |
| 蛋糕让孩子们吃完了。 | Dàngāo ràng háizimen chīwán le. | The cake was all eaten up by the children. |
Common mistake: Confusing the causative 让 (让我去 = make me go) with the passive 让. Context and sentence structure clarify the meaning, but the passive 让 always has the agent immediately after it.
Pattern 3: Formal Passive with 遭到 and 受到
Structure: Subject + 遭到/受到 + Noun (outcome)
These two verbs appear in formal writing and news contexts. 遭到 collocates with negative nouns (批评, 破坏, 反对), while 受到 collocates with both positive and negative nouns (表扬, 欢迎, 处罚).
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他的计划遭到了大家的反对。 | Tā de jìhuà zāodào le dàjiā de fǎnduì. | His plan was opposed by everyone. |
| 那位老师受到了学生的尊重。 | Nà wèi lǎoshī shòudào le xuésheng de zūnzhòng. | That teacher was respected by students. |
| 这座桥遭到了严重损坏。 | Zhè zuò qiáo zāodào le yánzhòng sǔnhuài. | This bridge suffered serious damage. |
Common mistake: Using 遭到 with positive outcomes. 遭到表扬 is unnatural. Use 受到表扬 instead.
Dialogue
A: 你怎么了？脸色不太好。 Nǐ zěnme le? Liǎnsè bù tài hǎo. What's wrong? You don't look well.
B: 糟糕，我的手机被偷了。 Zāogāo, wǒ de shǒujī bèi tōu le. Terrible, my phone was stolen.
A: 什么时候？在哪里？ Shénme shíhou? Zài nǎlǐ? When? Where?
B: 刚才在地铁上。我的包让人打开了，手机就不见了。 Gāngcái zài dìtiě shàng. Wǒ de bāo ràng rén dǎkāi le, shǒujī jiù bùjiàn le. Just now on the subway. My bag was opened by someone and the phone disappeared.
A: 你应该马上去报警。信息有没有被删除？ Nǐ yīnggāi mǎshàng qù bàojǐng. Xìnxī yǒu méiyǒu bèi shānchú? You should report it to the police immediately. Was your data deleted?
B: 不知道。我觉得自己太粗心了，被人骗了还不知道。 Bù zhīdào. Wǒ juéde zìjǐ tài cūxīn le, bèi rén piàn le hái bù zhīdào. I don't know. I feel I was too careless, getting tricked without even noticing.
A: 别自责了。这种事情很多人都遭到过。快去报警吧。 Bié zìzé le. Zhè zhǒng shìqing hěn duō rén dōu zāodào guò. Don't blame yourself. Many people have experienced this kind of thing. Go report it quickly.
Practice
Exercise 1: Sentence transformation
Rewrite each active sentence as a passive sentence using 被:
- 小狗吃了那块蛋糕。
- 风把那棵树吹倒了。
- 老师批评了他。
Exercise 2: Choose 被, 让, or 叫
Fill in the blank with the most appropriate passive marker:
- 我的自行车___人骑走了。
- 那件衣服___雨淋湿了。
- 他___警察带走了。
Exercise 3: 遭到 or 受到?
Choose the correct verb:
- 这个决定___了很多人的批评。
- 她的努力___了大家的认可。
- 工厂___了严重的环境处罚。
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, passive constructions with 被 traditionally carry a negative connotation, reflecting the cultural tendency to avoid direct language about undesirable events. However, modern Mandarin increasingly uses 被 in neutral or even ironic ways, especially among young people online. A popular internet usage is 被 + verb to express being involuntarily put into a category, such as 被代表 (being spoken for without consent) or 被自愿 (being "voluntarily" forced into something). This evolution shows how grammar reflects social attitudes.