被 (Bèi) Sentences: Passive Voice In Chinese
Topic Name: 被字句 (bèi zì jù) — when something “gets done” to the subject.
If you’ve ever wanted to say “My phone was stolen” or “The meeting got canceled” in Mandarin, you’re looking for 被 (bèi).
You’ll learn exact patterns, where to put 了/沒(有), when 被 sounds natural, and you’ll get plenty of real-life examples (with pinyin).
Yak note: If you force 被 into every sentence, you’ll sound like you’re narrating a tragic documentary. Use it when the “affected victim vibe” is actually the point.
What 被 (Bèi) Means
被 (bèi) = “to be …-ed” (passive marker). It puts the thing affected as the subject.
被 (bèi) — passive marker / “to be (done to)”
我的手機被偷了。
Wǒ de shǒujī bèi tōu le.
My phone was stolen.
The Core Pattern (The One You’ll Use 90% Of The Time)
| Pattern | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 受事 + 被 + 施事 + 動作 (+ 結果) | “X was done by Y (often with a result)” | 杯子被我打破了。 | Bēizi bèi wǒ dǎpò le. | The cup was broken by me. |
| 受事 + 被 + 動作 (+ 結果) | Agent omitted (unknown / not important) | 會議被取消了。 | Huìyì bèi qǔxiāo le. | The meeting got canceled. |
Card 1: With The Doer
我被他罵了。
Wǒ bèi tā mà le.
I was scolded by him.
罵 (mà) — to scold
Card 2: No Doer Needed
我的外送被送錯了。
Wǒ de wàisòng bèi sòngcuò le.
My delivery was sent to the wrong place.
送錯 (sòngcuò) — to deliver incorrectly
Card 3: Add A Result
密碼被改掉了。
Mìmǎ bèi gǎidiào le.
The password got changed (and it’s now different).
改掉 (gǎidiào) — to change (and remove the old state)
When 被 Sounds Natural (And When It Doesn’t)
- Use 被 when you want to spotlight the affected thing/person (often unlucky, annoying, unexpected, or “oops”).
- Use 被 when the doer is unknown, obvious, or you just don’t care.
- Avoid 被 for straightforward positive actions. Mandarin usually just goes active (or uses other wording).
Natural:
我的機票被取消了。
Wǒ de jīpiào bèi qǔxiāo le.
My flight ticket was canceled.
取消 (qǔxiāo) — to cancel
Less natural (often just say it actively):
我被公司表揚了。
Wǒ bèi gōngsī biǎoyáng le.
I was praised by the company. (Grammatically possible, but many people would just say: 我被表揚了 is still okay but can sound “report-ish.”)
表揚 (biǎoyáng) — to praise / commend
Where To Put 了, 沒(有), 正在, 已經
| Grammar Piece | Where It Goes | Example (ZH) | Pinyin | EN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 了 (le) | Usually after the verb / result | 門被關上了。 | Mén bèi guānshàng le. | The door got closed. |
| 沒(有) (méi(yǒu)) | Before 被 or before the verb (most common: 沒有被…) | 我的訊息沒有被看到。 | Wǒ de xùnxī méiyǒu bèi kàndào. | My message wasn’t seen. |
| 正在 (zhèngzài) | Before 被 | 文件正在被列印。 | Wénjiàn zhèngzài bèi lièyìn. | The document is being printed. |
| 已經 (yǐjīng) | Before 被 (or before the verb) | 訂位已經被取消了。 | Dìngwèi yǐjīng bèi qǔxiāo le. | The reservation has already been canceled. |
關上 (guānshàng) — to close (up/shut)
門被關上了。
Mén bèi guānshàng le.
The door got closed.
看到 (kàndào) — to see / to notice
我的訊息沒有被看到。
Wǒ de xùnxī méiyǒu bèi kàndào.
My message wasn’t seen.
列印 (lièyìn) — to print
文件正在被列印。
Wénjiàn zhèngzài bèi lièyìn.
The document is being printed.
Useful 被 Sentences You’ll Actually Say
Each mini-item below is something you can steal and use today. (Unlike your phone. Sorry.)
偷 (tōu) — to steal
我的錢包被偷了。
Wǒ de qiánbāo bèi tōu le.
My wallet was stolen.
弄丟 (nòngdiū) — to misplace / lose
鑰匙被我弄丟了。
Yàoshi bèi wǒ nòngdiū le.
The keys got lost (by me).
打斷 (dǎduàn) — to interrupt
我講到一半被打斷了。
Wǒ jiǎng dào yíbàn bèi dǎduàn le.
I got interrupted mid-sentence.
取消 (qǔxiāo) — to cancel
我的訂單被取消了。
Wǒ de dìngdān bèi qǔxiāo le.
My order was canceled.
改 (gǎi) — to change / edit
我的名字被寫錯了。
Wǒ de míngzì bèi xiěcuò le.
My name was written wrong.
寫錯 (xiěcuò) — to write incorrectly
地址被寫錯，包裹送不到。
Dìzhǐ bèi xiěcuò, bāoguǒ sòng bú dào.
The address was written wrong, so the package can’t be delivered.
封鎖 (fēngsuǒ) — to block (on apps)
我被他封鎖了。
Wǒ bèi tā fēngsuǒ le.
I got blocked by him.
抓包 (zhuābāo) — to catch someone in the act
他被抓包了。
Tā bèi zhuābāo le.
He got caught red-handed.
叫醒 (jiàoxǐng) — to wake (someone) up
我被鬧鐘叫醒了。
Wǒ bèi nàozhōng jiàoxǐng le.
I got woken up by the alarm.
被 Vs. 把: Quick Choice Guide
把 (bǎ) highlights what the doer does to an object. 被 (bèi) highlights what the subject suffers/receives.
| Focus | Pattern | Example (ZH) | Pinyin | EN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doer’s action | 主語 + 把 + 受詞 + 動作 + 結果 | 我把杯子打破了。 | Wǒ bǎ bēizi dǎpò le. | I broke the cup. |
| Thing affected | 受事 + 被 + 主語 + 動作 + 結果 | 杯子被我打破了。 | Bēizi bèi wǒ dǎpò le. | The cup was broken by me. |
打破 (dǎpò) — to break (something)
我把杯子打破了。
Wǒ bǎ bēizi dǎpò le.
I broke the cup.
Common “Sounds Wrong” Problems (And The Fix)
- Mistake: Using 被 with no clear action/result, so it feels incomplete.
Fix: Add a verb + (often) a result complement.
門被關。 ❌ → 門被關上了。 ✅
Mén bèi guān. → Mén bèi guānshàng le. - Mistake: Putting 了 in the wrong spot (randomly after 被).
Fix: Put 了 after the verb/result: 被 + V + 了.
手機被了偷。 ❌ → 手機被偷了。 ✅
Shǒujī bèi le tōu. → Shǒujī bèi tōu le. - Mistake: Overusing 被 for happy news (it can sound stiff or dramatic).
Fix: Use an active sentence or different wording when it’s simply positive.
他被錄取了。 (OK but can sound “announcement-ish”)
More casual: 他錄取了。 / 他上了。 (context-dependent) - Mistake: Forgetting the agent is optional.
Fix: If you don’t know who did it, drop it.
我的包包被偷了。 ✅ (No thief required)
關 (guān) — to close
門被關上了。
Mén bèi guānshàng le.
The door got closed.
Colloquial Taiwanese Mandarin Alternatives (So You Sound More Human)
In Taiwan, people also use a more colloquial passive-ish feel with 給 (gěi) or 讓 (ràng) in certain contexts. Same vibe: “I got (done to).” Use these when you’re chatting, not writing a formal email.
給 (gěi) — (colloquial) “to get (done to)” / passive-ish marker
我給他罵了一頓。
Wǒ gěi tā mà le yí dùn.
I got scolded by him (a lot).
一頓 (yí dùn) — (measure) “a round of” (often for scolding/beating/food)
我給他罵了一頓。
Wǒ gěi tā mà le yí dùn.
I got a serious scolding from him.
讓 (ràng) — to let / to make (causative; sometimes used like “got …-ed”)
我讓雨淋濕了。
Wǒ ràng yǔ línshī le.
I got drenched by the rain. (Very spoken; 被 also works: 我被雨淋濕了。)
淋濕 (línshī) — to get soaked / drenched
我被雨淋濕了。
Wǒ bèi yǔ línshī le.
I got drenched by the rain.
Practice: Turn Active Into 被 Sentences
Try these. Don’t overthink it—just move the “affected thing” to the front, then add 被.
- 他取消了會議。
Tā qǔxiāo le huìyì.
He canceled the meeting. - 我弄丟了鑰匙。
Wǒ nòngdiū le yàoshi.
I lost the keys. - 有人寫錯了我的名字。
Yǒurén xiěcuò le wǒ de míngzì.
Someone wrote my name wrong. - 鬧鐘叫醒了我。
Nàozhōng jiàoxǐng le wǒ.
The alarm woke me up.
Answer Key
1) 會議被他取消了。
Huìyì bèi tā qǔxiāo le.
The meeting was canceled by him.
2) 鑰匙被我弄丟了。
Yàoshi bèi wǒ nòngdiū le.
The keys were lost by me.
3) 我的名字被寫錯了。 / 我的名字被有人寫錯了。
Wǒ de míngzì bèi xiěcuò le. / Wǒ de míngzì bèi yǒurén xiěcuò le.
My name was written wrong. / My name was written wrong by someone.
4) 我被鬧鐘叫醒了。
Wǒ bèi nàozhōng jiàoxǐng le.
I was woken up by the alarm.
Quick Reference Summary
- Default form: 受事 + 被 + (施事) + 動作 + (結果)
- Agent optional: drop it if unknown/irrelevant.
- 了 usually after the verb/result: 被V了 / 被V結果了
- Negation: 沒(有) + 被 + V (most natural)
- Use 被 when the “affected subject” is the point (often unlucky/annoying/unexpected).
Final Yak Box
Master one clean pattern first: 受事 + 被 + V + 了. Then sprinkle in agents and results when you need them. Congrats—you can now complain in Mandarin with precision. That’s basically fluency.
