被 Passive Construction - Basic

In a normal sentence, the doer comes first. You say "The cat ate the fish." In a 被 sentence, the fish comes first. The fish is the star because something happened to it. The word 被 sits right before the person or thing doing the action. If you do not know who did it, that is fine. You can actually leave the doer out entirely. This is great for when your phone disappears mysteriously. The most important part is the ending. A 被 sentence rarely ends with just a verb. It needs a sense of completion or a result. This usually means adding 了 (le) or a result word. It is like a grammar traffic light. It tells the listener the action is finished and done.

1. 1Creating a passive sentence follows a very specific recipe. Follow these steps to get it right every time:
2. 2Start with the Receiver (the thing that was affected).
3. 3Add the passive marker 被 (bèi).
4. 4Add the Doer (the person or thing that did it).
5. 5Add the Verb (the action taken).
6. 6Add a Result or Completion (like 了, a complement, or an extra noun).
7. 7If you want to hide the doer, the pattern is even simpler. It becomes: Receiver + 被 + Verb + Result. For example, 我的钱被偷了 (My money was stolen). You do not need to say who stole it. The focus stays on your empty wallet.

Use 被 when the result is more important than the doer. It is very common when something bad happens. If your bike is stolen, use 被. If your glass is broken, use 被. If you are bitten by a mosquito, use 被. It highlights that the subject is a victim of the action. You will also use it to emphasize a change in state. Use it when ordering food if the dish was already taken. Use it in job interviews to say you were given a task. Use it when asking directions if a road was closed. It is perfect for explaining why you are late or why something is missing. It adds a layer of "this happened to me" to your stories.

Do not use 被 for every passive sentence you think of in English. Chinese speakers use it much less than English speakers do. If the situation is positive, usually avoid 被 at this level. Instead of "I was praised," just say "Teacher praised me." Avoid using it for natural states or feelings. You would not say "I was loved by her" using 被 in casual talk. Also, do not use it if the verb has no clear result. If the action is still happening, 被 usually feels out of place. Never use it when the subject is the one doing the work. If you are the one eating, keep it active. Keep 被 for when you are the one being affected.

One big mistake is forgetting the result at the end. You cannot just say 我被打 (I was hit). It sounds unfinished and confuses people. You must say 我被打了 to show the action happened. Another mistake is the placement of "not." If you want to say something was *not* done, put 没 (méi) before 被. Do not put it after. Saying 被没 is a classic learner error. Also, watch out for your time words. Words like "yesterday" or "now" should go before 被 or at the very start. Do not tuck them inside the passive structure. Yes, even native speakers mess this up when they are tired! Finally, do not use 被 for things that happen naturally. The sun does not "get seen" by you; you just see it.

You might know the 把 (bǎ) construction already. They are like two sides of the same coin. 把 focuses on what the doer did to the object. 被 focuses on what happened to the object itself. If you want to sound like a hero, use 把. If you want to sound like a victim, use 被. For example, 我把手机丢了 means "I lost the phone." But 手机被我丢了 means "The phone was lost by me." The second one sounds like you are blaming the phone a little bit. Another similar pattern involves 叫 (jiào) or 让 (ràng). These are used in spoken Chinese instead of 被. They are softer and more informal. However, 被 is the standard and works in every situation.