被 + (Agent) + Verb + Result
Reach for this when something happened TO the subject — the Mandarin passive. The receiver of the action becomes the topic; the agent (who did it) is optional and goes after 被. The verb almost always needs a result complement (了, 完, 到, 走, 死, an adjective, etc.) — bare verbs feel incomplete. Common in news ('the suspect was arrested'), formal writing, and any context where the action's impact matters more than its doer. Historically 被 carried a negative tone ('was harmed by'), but modern usage is neutral.
Structure
Subject (receiver) + 被 + (Agent) + Verb + Result/Complement.
bèi
How to Think About It
Think of 被 as 'undergo' — it flips the spotlight from the doer to the done-to. Where English passive uses 'was/were + past participle,' Chinese uses 被 + verb + a result that proves the action completed. The agent is optional: 我被打了 ('I got hit') works without naming who hit you. With agent: 我被他打了 ('I got hit by him'). The result is rarely optional — without it, the sentence dangles.
Examples
他的自行车被偷走了。
Tā de zìxíngchē bèi tōu zǒu le.
His bike got stolen.
嫌疑人已被警方逮捕。
Xiányírén yǐ bèi jǐngfāng dàibǔ.
The suspect has been arrested by the police.
那本书被翻译成了五种语言。
Nà běn shū bèi fānyì chéng le wǔ zhǒng yǔyán.
That book has been translated into five languages.
蛋糕被孩子们吃完了。
Dàngāo bèi háizimen chī wán le.
The cake got eaten up by the kids.
Common Mistake
Learners drop the result complement, leaving a bare verb after 被. 我被打 ('I was hit') sounds unfinished; 我被打了 or 我被打伤了 finishes the thought. Always anchor with 了, 完, an adjective, or another resultative.
我的手机被偷。
我的手机被偷了。
Don't Confuse With
把 + Object + Verb + Result
The active disposal pattern — subject DOES the action to the object. 被 is the receiver's perspective; 把 is the doer's. Same event, opposite spotlight.
让/叫 + Agent + Verb (passive use)
Colloquial passive equivalents — 我让他骗了 ('I got tricked by him'). The agent is required after 让/叫, but optional after 被.
被 + 所 + Verb (formal)
Literary passive in essays and news: 被人民所喜爱. Use 被...所... for formal register; plain 被 for everyday.
Practice
Fill in: 我的钱包____小偷偷走了。
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被
Arrange: 警察 / 被 / 嫌疑人 / 逮捕 / 了
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嫌疑人被警察逮捕了。
Translate to Chinese: My phone was stolen yesterday.
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我的手机昨天被偷了。
Use 被 to describe something unpleasant that happened to you or your stuff.
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我的伞被人拿走了。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 被 + (Agent) + Verb + Result in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.