被
Passive: something is done to you
HSK 3 · 4 examples
Speed
被 marks the passive voice. The person or thing that does the action can be left out: 我的手机被偷了。
Classically 被 carries a sense that something went wrong or was unexpected — that feeling is still there in most sentences.
Examples
。
My phone was stolen.
。
That book was taken away by him.
。
The window was blown open by the wind.
。
My bike has been repaired.
Watch out
- Don't use 被 with feeling or state verbs (喜欢、是、有).
- The doer, if named, goes right after 被: 书被他拿走了。
Words in these examples
All 17 words used in the examples above — tap any word in an example to look it up in place. Words above this level are marked new.
- 我wǒHSK 1our, us, i, me, my, we
- 的deHSK 1possessive, adjectival suffix
- 手机shǒu jīHSK 1cell phone; mobile phone
- 被bèiHSK 3passive indicator 'by'; bedding
- 偷tōunewto steal, burglar, thief
- 了leHSK 1to finish; particle of completed action
- 那nàHSK 1that, that one, those
- 本běnHSK 1root, origin, source; basis
- 书shūHSK 1book, letter, document; writings
- 他tāHSK 1other, another; he, she, it
- 拿走ná zǒunewto take away
- 窗户chuāng hunewwindow
- 风fēngHSK 1wind; air; manners, atmosphere
- 打开dǎ kāiHSK 1to open; to show (a ticket); to turn on; to switch on
- 自行车zì xíng chēHSK 2bicycle; bike
- 修xiūHSK 3study; repair; cultivate
- 好hǎoHSK 1good, excellent, fine; well