了
le
Particle (completed action or change of state)
了 (le) — patient subject without 被 (bèi)
Noun (patient) + Verb + 了 (le)
HSK 23.0
Pattern diagram
What / whomAction了
Rule structure
In Chinese, an object or person affected by an action can appear at the beginning of a sentence as the subject without the passive marker 被 (bèi). Such sentences describe a result or completed action: 饭做好了 (Fàn zuò hǎo le) — "The food is ready." This is not a mechanical passive, but a natural way to say what happened to the object.
Rule structure
In Chinese, an object or person affected by an action can appear at the beginning of a sentence as the subject without the passive marker 被 (bèi). Such sentences describe a result or completed action: 饭做好了 (Fàn zuò hǎo le) — "The food is ready." This is not a mechanical passive, but a natural way to say what happened to the object.
Examples
衣服洗了。
Yīfu xǐ le.
The clothes have been washed.
门打开了。
Mén dǎkāi le.
The door has been opened.
Examples
衣服洗了。
Yīfu xǐ le.
The clothes have been washed.
门打开了。
Mén dǎkāi le.
The door has been opened.
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Words from this rule
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “patient subject without 被” in Chinese with 了?
Use the structure: Noun (patient) + Verb + 了 (le). For example: 衣服洗了。 — “The clothes have been washed”.
What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?
衣服洗了。 — “The clothes have been washed”.
Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?
This grammar rule is part of HSK 3.0 Level 2.
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More HSK 3.0 Level 2 grammar rules
他 — topic + subject + predicate
Topic (Subject) + Subject + Verb/Adj.
是…的 — emphasizing details
是 (shì) … 的 (de)
从中 — from among
从 (cóng) + Plural / Group + 中 (zhōng) + Verb
因为 — cause and effect
因为 (yīnwèi)⋯⋯ 所以 (suǒyǐ)⋯⋯
快 — about to happen
快 (kuài) + Verb / Adj. + 了 (le)
别 — stop doing
别 (bié) + Verb + 了 (le)
别 — negative commands
别 (bié) + Verb
都…还 — already, and still
Subj. + 都 (dōu) + Predicate