被……所……
Reach for 被...所... when you want a formal, written-register passive — 'is/was [verb]ed by ...'. It's the literary upgrade of plain 被: 被 introduces the agent, 所 sits right in front of the verb to give the whole construction a measured, essay-like feel. You'll see it in news, academic writing, and reflective prose, almost never in casual speech.
Structure
[SUBJECT] 被 [AGENT] 所 [VERB]
bèi... suǒ...
How to Think About It
Plain 被 narrates an event; 被...所... frames an established state. The 所 turns the verb into something closer to a passive participle — '被推崇' tells you he got praised, '被所推崇' (better: '被...所推崇') treats 'praised' as an enduring status. Because of this stateliness, the verbs that slot in tend to be one-character abstract actions: 推崇, 吸引, 感动, 接受, 认可, 影响. A casual everyday verb in this slot sounds wrong.
Examples
他被她的勇气所感动。
Tā bèi tā de yǒngqì suǒ gǎndòng.
He was moved by her courage.
这种观点已经被大众所接受。
Zhè zhǒng guāndiǎn yǐjīng bèi dàzhòng suǒ jiēshòu.
This view has come to be accepted by the public.
年轻人很容易被网络上的信息所影响。
Niánqīngrén hěn róngyì bèi wǎngluò shàng de xìnxī suǒ yǐngxiǎng.
Young people are easily influenced by information online.
Common Mistake
Learners stick 所 in front of any verb to sound formal, including with two-syllable verbs and casual events. 被...所... pairs with single-syllable, abstract verbs in elevated writing. Using it with everyday physical actions sounds odd or pretentious.
我被他所打了。
我被他的真诚所感动。
Don't Confuse With
被 + Agent + Verb
The everyday passive. Use plain 被 for concrete events and speech. Reserve 被...所... for written, abstract, evaluative contexts.
为 ... 所 ...
Even more literary cousin: '为人所知' (be known to people). Same meaning as 被...所..., almost only found in essays and idiomatic four-character set phrases.
受 ... 影响
Specific to influence/effect verbs: '受他影响' (influenced by him). 被...所... is broader; 受 is narrower and reads slightly less heavy.
Practice
他的故事 ___ 很多读者所感动。
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被
这部电影被全世界 ___ 喜爱。
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所
Put in order: [被 / 大家 / 她 / 所 / 认可 / 的努力]
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她的努力被大家所认可。
Translate to Chinese: 'This idea has long been accepted by society.'
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这种想法早就被社会所接受。
Write one formal sentence about an idea, work, or person being widely recognized, using 被...所....
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Example answer: 他的研究已经被国际学界所认可。 (His research has been recognized by the international academic community.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 2 Fluentide episodes: