Simplified Chinese course

Lesson 148 of 240

New here? This is lesson 148 of a free 240-lesson Simplified Chinese course.

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It got wet, it got taken in Simplified Chinese

A windy morning leaves Banyan Lane messy. Your umbrella is wrecked, your clothes are soaked, and A-Li's raincoat sits inside out beside his unfinished soy milk.

Learn 被 to say what happened to someone or something, often when the result is unwanted. The wind, the rain, a missing bike, and a meeting all land on the person or thing first.

Then practise six everyday lines. A-Jie jokes that the fortune slip came true again, while A-Li's drink stays unfinished.

By the end of this lesson

Say what happened to someone or something using 被, often for an unwanted result.

  • 我的伞被风吹坏了My umbrella got broken by the wind.
  • 我的衣服被雨淋湿了My clothes got soaked by the rain.
  • 自行车被偷了The bike was stolen.
  • 我被叫去开会I was called to a meeting.
  • 这件事被大家知道了The news got around.
  • 你被骗了You were tricked.

Scene — a wet morning on the lane

After a night of wind and rain, Maya pushes into Banyan Breakfast with a broken umbrella.

Auntie Lin is already at the counter. A-Li sits on two stools, raincoat inside out, soy milk still untouched.

A-Jie comes in from the lane with news of a missing bike. The fortune slip stays in the till; nobody reads it aloud today.

A wet Taipei breakfast shop after a storm: Maya in the doorway with a ruined umbrella, Auntie Lin at the counter, a yak on two stools in an inside-out raincoat with untouched soy milk, and A-Jie arriving from the lane.

Learn — what happened with 被

These six lines use 被 to put the affected person or thing first. Listen, then say each one.

被 often marks something unwanted: wind, rain, theft, or a meeting you did not choose.

  1. Maya holds up a wind-wrecked umbrella just inside the breakfast shop while Auntie Lin works the trays behind her.

    我的伞被风吹坏了

    My umbrella got broken by the wind.

    When to use it: Use this when the wind has damaged your umbrella.

    被 puts the affected thing first, then the cause.

    Say it: 被 is a falling fourth tone.

  2. Maya looks down at her rain-soaked clothes and pulls the wet jacket off her shirt while Lin offers a towel.

    我的衣服被雨淋湿了

    My clothes got soaked by the rain.

    When to use it: Use this after rain soaks through your clothes.

    了 here shows the soaking already happened.

    Say it: The final 了 is a light, short tone.

  3. A-Jie stands in the shop doorway pointing back at an empty wet bike rack where his bicycle is gone.

    自行车被偷了

    The bike was stolen.

    When to use it: Use this when a bike has been stolen.

    After 被 you can leave the thief unsaid.

  4. Chen half-stands from a breakfast stool, phone in hand and bag on his shoulder, pulled away to a meeting.

    我被叫去开会

    I was called to a meeting.

    When to use it: Say this when someone pulled you into a meeting.

    被 also works when a person is the one affected.

  5. Auntie Lin at the counter opens her hands to the whole shop while Maya, A-Jie, and the yak on two stools all react that the news has spread.

    这件事被大家知道了

    The news got around.

    When to use it: Use this when the news has already spread around.

    被 marks the affected thing, and 传开 means spread.

  6. Auntie Lin leans across the counter toward A-Jie with a firm, corrective look that he has been tricked.

    你被骗了

    You were tricked.

    When to use it: Tell someone they were fooled or tricked.

    This short 被 line names the result, not who did it.

    Say it: 骗 is a falling fourth tone.

Story — wind, rain, and a missing bike

Listen as Maya walks in soaked. Auntie Lin asks what happened, A-Li's raincoat is inside out, and A-Jie brings news from the lane.

The fortune is only a joke today. A-Li's soy milk stays unfinished.

  1. Auntie Lin美女，发生什么事了？What happened, beautiful?
  2. Maya我的伞被风吹坏了。My umbrella got broken by the wind.
  3. Maya我的衣服被雨淋湿了。My clothes got soaked by the rain.
  4. A-Li我的雨衣整个反过来了。My raincoat is completely inside out.
  5. Auntie Lin那真可惜。That's a pity.
  6. Auntie Lin你怎么这么晚才来？How come you arrived so late?
  7. Maya我被叫去开会，所以晚到。I was called to a meeting, so I arrived late.
  8. A-Jie comes in from the lane, still catching his breath.
  9. A-Jie欸，邻居的自行车被偷了。Hey, the neighbour's bike was stolen.
  10. Auntie Lin不会吧！No way!
  11. A-Jie签诗又写中了吧？The fortune slip got it right again, didn't it?
  12. A-Li签上没写这个。That wasn't on the slip.
  13. Auntie Lin这件事被大家知道了。The news got around.
  14. Auntie Lin阿杰，你被骗了。A-Jie, you were tricked.
  15. A-Li豆浆还没喝完。The soy milk still isn't finished.

Practice — say what got done

Work through quick drills on 被. Match the line to the moment, fill one word, and listen for who or what was affected.

After each item, read why an option is wrong, then say the line again.

0 of 10 done

  1. What does it mean?

    我的伞被风吹坏了

  2. Fill the gap

    My clothes got soaked by the rain.

    我的衣服被____淋湿了

  3. What do you say?

    A neighbour's bike is gone from the lane. Report that it was stolen.

  4. What did you hear?

  5. Build the line

    I was called to a meeting.

    Tap the words in order.

  6. What did you hear?

  7. What do you say?

    A-Li walks in with his raincoat inside out. Ask what happened.

  8. Pick the reply

    Maya says:

    我的衣服被雨淋湿了

    My clothes got soaked by the rain.

    And you reply with:

  9. What does it mean?

    不会吧！

  10. Match the pairs

    Simplified Chinese

    我的伞被风吹坏了Drop the English here
    我的衣服被雨淋湿了Drop the English here
    自行车被偷了Drop the English here
    你被骗了Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its Simplified Chinese, or tap one and then the other.

Say it — tell them what happened

You are Maya. Tell Auntie Lin and A-Jie what happened to your umbrella, your clothes, and the bike, then explain the meeting.

Tap the microphone. Replay their lines if you need them before you speak.

  1. Maya arrives soaked at Banyan Breakfast after the wind and rain.
  2. Auntie Lin发生什么事了？What happened?
  3. Maya (you)Tell her the wind wrecked your umbrella.

    我的伞被风吹坏了

    My umbrella got broken by the wind.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

Simplified ChineseEnglish
我的伞被风吹坏了My umbrella got broken by the wind.
我的衣服被雨淋湿了My clothes got soaked by the rain.
自行车被偷了The bike was stolen.
我被叫去开会I was called to a meeting.
这件事被大家知道了The news got around.
你被骗了You were tricked.
Next: lesson 149Understood, found, finished

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Today's 被 lines are in Yak Cards with more ways to say what happened to someone.

Review a few 被 cards so the affected person or thing comes first without thinking.

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