被
Reach for this when you want to put the receiver of an action in the spotlight — the Chinese passive marker. 被 turns the focus from 'who did it' to 'what got done to whom.' Useful for things happening to a person or object — being criticized, robbed, fired, or invited. The doer can be named (他被老板骂了 — 'he got scolded by the boss') or left out (他被骂了 — 'he got scolded'). Historically 被 carried a negative tone, but in modern Chinese it works for neutral or positive events too.
Structure
[RECEIVER] 被 ([DOER]) [VERB] ([RESULT/COMPLEMENT])
bèi...
How to Think About It
被 doesn't just translate English passive — it requires a RESULT or change. 'I was watched by him' as pure passive doesn't take 被; '我被他骂了一顿' works because there's an outcome (a scolding happened). If the verb is bare and there's no completion or impact, 被 sounds off. Always pair 被 with a result complement, an aspect particle like 了, or a quantified outcome.
Examples
我的手机被偷了。
Wǒ de shǒujī bèi tōu le.
My phone got stolen.
他被老师批评了一顿。
Tā bèi lǎoshī pīpíng le yí dùn.
He got scolded by the teacher.
这本书被翻译成了十种语言。
Zhè běn shū bèi fānyì chéng le shí zhǒng yǔyán.
This book has been translated into ten languages.
Common Mistake
Learners produce bare 被 + verb sentences without a result marker, mimicking English passive ('was watched'). 我被他看 sounds wrong; you need a result: 我被他看到了. The verb needs an outcome attached.
他被老师批评。
他被老师批评了一顿。
Don't Confuse With
把 + Object + Verb + Result
Active counterpart that highlights the OBJECT being acted on. 把 puts the doer first and the affected object second; 被 puts the affected one first and the doer second (or unnamed).
让 / 叫 (as passive markers)
In colloquial speech, 让/叫 can act like 被 (他让狗咬了 — 'he got bitten by a dog'). The doer is required after 让/叫; with 被 the doer can be dropped.
受 / 受到 + Noun
Formal passive-like structure ('to be received/affected by'). Works only with abstract nouns (影响, 欢迎, 批评), not concrete verbs.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 我的自行车 ____ 别人骑走了。
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被
Fill in the blank: 那个杯子被弟弟 ____ 破了。
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打
Arrange into a sentence: 被 / 妈妈 / 蛋糕 / 吃 / 了 / 完
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蛋糕被妈妈吃完了。
Translate to Chinese: My homework was eaten by the dog.
Show answer
我的作业被狗吃了。
Use 被 to describe something that happened TO you or someone you know.
Show answer
他昨天被公司选为优秀员工了。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 被 in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
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