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How to form the passive in Chinese with 被 (bèi)

Patient/Object + 被 (bèi) + (Agent) + Verb Phrase

被 (bèi) — passive voice

HSK 3Sentence Patterns

Rule structure

The 被 (bèi) construction shows that something was done to an object. The sentence starts with the affected object, then 被 (bèi), then the person who did the action. Structure: object + 被 (bèi) + who did it + action.

Examples

杯子被我打碎了。

Bēizi bèi wǒ dǎ suì le.

The cup was broken by me.

电脑被他修好了。

Diànnǎo bèi tā xiūhǎo le.

The computer was repaired by him.

我的书被他拿走了。

Wǒ de shū bèi tā názǒu le.

My book was taken by him.

Practice

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Characters

Words from this rule

被

bèi

Passive voice preposition

杯子

bēizi

Cup, glass

我

wǒ

I, me

打

dǎ

To hit

碎

suì

To break

了

le

Particle (completed action or change of state)

电脑

diàn nǎo

Computer

他

tā

He

好

hǎo

Good, well

的

de

Possessive particle; modifier particle

书

shū

Book

拿

ná

To take

Frequently asked questions

How do you say “passive voice” in Chinese with 被?

Use the structure: Patient/Object + 被 (bèi) + (Agent) + Verb Phrase. For example: 杯子被我打碎了。 — “The cup was broken by me”.

What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?

杯子被我打碎了。 — “The cup was broken by me”.

Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?

This grammar rule is part of HSK 3.

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More HSK 3 grammar rules

一 — not even one

一 (yī) + MW + 也 (yě)/都 (dōu) + 没 (méi)/不 (bù) + Verb

越 — the more… the more…

Subj.＋越 (yuè)＋Verb＋越 (yuè) + Adj. / Verb

把 — how to use the 把 sentence

Subj. + 把 (bǎ) + Obj. + Verb

一边 — doing two things at once

一边 (yìbiān) + Verb 1, 一边 (yìbiān) + Verb 2

如果…就 — if… then…

如果 (rúguǒ)……，就 (jiù)……

万 — big numbers

Number + 万 (wàn) / 亿 (yì)

地 — turning adjectives into adverbs

Adj. + 地 (de) + Verb

AA — reduplicating adjectives

AA / AABB