Learn who or what was affected by an action
If you already know how to make a basic Chinese sentence, you probably use this word order:
Subject + Verb + Object
For example:
dìdi ná zǒu le wǒ de shǒujī
弟弟拿走了我的手机。
My younger brother took away my phone.
This sentence focuses on the person doing the action: 弟弟.
But what if the important thing is not the younger brother? What if you want to focus on the phone and what happened to it?
You can use a 被 sentence:
wǒ de shǒujī bèi dìdi ná zǒu le
我的手机被弟弟拿走了。
My phone was taken away by my younger brother.
被 sentences are often compared to passive sentences in English, but they are not used in exactly the same way.
Let’s look at how they work.
1. What Is a 被 Sentence?
被 bèi introduces the person or thing responsible for an action.
The basic pattern is:
Affected person or thing + 被 + doer + verb + result
| Part | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 我的手机 | affected thing | my phone |
| 被 | passive marker | by |
| 弟弟 | doer | younger brother |
| 拿走了 | action and result | was taken away |
Put everything together:
wǒ de shǒujī bèi dìdi ná zǒu le
我的手机被弟弟拿走了。
My phone was taken away by my younger brother.
The subject of a 被 sentence is usually the person or thing affected by the action.
2. Active Sentence vs. 被 Sentence
Compare these two sentences.
Active sentence
háizimen chī wán le dàngāo
孩子们吃完了蛋糕。
The children finished the cake.
This sentence focuses on 孩子们—the people doing the action.
被 sentence
dàngāo bèi háizimen chī wán le
蛋糕被孩子们吃完了。
The cake was finished by the children.
This sentence focuses on 蛋糕—the thing affected by the action.
The event is the same. The focus is different.
Another example
fēng chuī kāi le mén
风吹开了门。
The wind blew the door open.
mén bèi fēng chuī kāi le
门被风吹开了。
The door was blown open by the wind.
Use a 被 sentence when the affected person or thing is the most important part of the message.
3. The Doer Can Be Included
When you know who performed the action and that information is important, place the doer after 被.
Pattern
Affected thing + 被 + doer + action
Example 1
bēizi bèi māo dǎ pò le
杯子被猫打破了。
The cup was broken by the cat.
Example 2
wǒ de shū bèi péngyou ná zǒu le
我的书被朋友拿走了。
My book was taken away by my friend.
Example 3
chuānghu bèi bàba guān shàng le
窗户被爸爸关上了。
The window was closed by Dad.
Example 4
zhège míngzi bèi wǒ xiě cuò le
这个名字被我写错了。
This name was written incorrectly by me.
In each example, the person or thing after 被 performs the action.
4. The Doer Can Also Be Omitted
Sometimes you do not know who performed the action.
Sometimes you know, but the information is not important.
In these situations, you can omit the doer.
Pattern
Affected person or thing + 被 + verb + result
Example 1
wǒ de qiánbāo bèi tōu le
我的钱包被偷了。
My wallet was stolen.
We do not know who stole it, so the doer is omitted.
Example 2
mén bèi dǎ kāi le
门被打开了。
The door was opened.
The important information is that the door was opened, not who opened it.
Example 3
huìyì bèi qǔxiāo le
会议被取消了。
The meeting was cancelled.
Example 4
wǒ de diànnǎo bèi xiū hǎo le
我的电脑被修好了。
My computer has been repaired.
The person who repaired the computer is not important in this sentence.
5. 被 Sentences Often Describe a Result
A 被 sentence often describes how an action affected someone or something.
That is why the verb is frequently followed by a result complement, direction complement, object, or 了.
Common results include:
| Result | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 完 wán | finish | 吃完 |
| 走 zǒu | away | 拿走 |
| 开 kāi | open | 打开、吹开 |
| 破 pò | broken | 打破 |
| 错 cuò | incorrectly | 写错 |
| 湿 shī | wet | 淋湿 |
| 好 hǎo | completed successfully | 修好 |
| 到 dào | successfully reached or found | 找到 |
Example 1
dàngāo bèi chī wán le
蛋糕被吃完了。
The cake was completely eaten.
Example 2
wǒ de yīfu bèi yǔ lín shī le
我的衣服被雨淋湿了。
My clothes were soaked by the rain.
Example 3
tā de míngzi bèi xiě cuò le
他的名字被写错了。
His name was written incorrectly.
Example 4
diū le de bāo bèi zhǎo dào le
丢了的包被找到了。
The lost bag was found.
A sentence such as “书被看” sounds unfinished in most everyday situations.
It is usually more natural to say what happened as a result:
zhè běn shū bèi wǒ kàn wán le
这本书被我看完了。
I finished reading this book.
6. 被 Is Not Only for Bad Situations
Many beginner textbooks introduce 被 with unpleasant events:
- Something was stolen.
- Something was broken.
- Someone was criticized.
This can make learners think that 被 is only used for negative experiences.
However, modern Chinese also uses 被 for neutral and positive situations.
Negative
wǒ de zìxíngchē bèi tōu le
我的自行车被偷了。
My bicycle was stolen.
Neutral
huìyì bèi ānpái zài xīngqīwǔ
会议被安排在星期五。
The meeting was scheduled for Friday.
Positive
tā bèi lǎoshī biǎoyáng le
他被老师表扬了。
He was praised by the teacher.
Positive
tā bèi dàxué lùqǔ le
她被大学录取了。
She was accepted by the university.
The important idea is not whether the result is good or bad.
The important idea is that the subject was affected by an action.
7. How to Make a Negative 被 Sentence
To say that something did not happen, put 没 or 没有 before 被.
Pattern
Subject + 没（有）+ 被 + doer + verb
Correct
wǒ de shū méi bèi tā ná zǒu
我的书没被他拿走。
My book was not taken away by him.
Incorrect
wǒ de shū bèi tā méi ná zǒu
我的书被他没拿走。❌
The negative word normally comes before 被.
More examples
huìyì hái méi bèi qǔxiāo
会议还没被取消。
The meeting has not been cancelled yet.
zhège wèntí hái méi bèi jiějué
这个问题还没被解决。
This problem has not been solved yet.
wǒ de bāo méiyǒu bèi ná zǒu
我的包没有被拿走。
My bag was not taken away.
8. 没被 vs. 不被
Use 没被 when talking about an action that did not happen.
tā méi bèi xuǎn shàng
他没被选上。
He was not selected.
Use 不被 when talking about a general situation, rule, preference, or repeated condition.
tā bù róngyì bèi biérén yǐngxiǎng
他不容易被别人影响。
He is not easily influenced by other people.
wǒ bù xiǎng bèi rén dǎrǎo
我不想被人打扰。
I do not want to be disturbed.
Compare:
wǒ méi bèi tā dǎrǎo
我没被他打扰。
I was not disturbed by him.
wǒ bù xiǎng bèi tā dǎrǎo
我不想被他打扰。
I do not want to be disturbed by him.
9. Using Modal Verbs with 被
Words such as 会、可能、应该 and 容易 usually come before 被.
会被
zhè jiàn shì huì bèi dàjiā zhīdào
这件事会被大家知道。
Everyone will find out about this.
可能被
hángbān kěnéng bèi qǔxiāo
航班可能被取消。
The flight may be cancelled.
应该被
zhège wèntí yīnggāi bèi rènzhēn duìdài
这个问题应该被认真对待。
This problem should be taken seriously.
容易被
zhè zhǒng cǎiliào hěn róngyì bèi nòng huài
这种材料很容易被弄坏。
This type of material is easily damaged.
The general order is:
Subject + modal verb + 被 + doer + action
10. How to Ask Questions with 被
You can turn a 被 sentence into a question by adding 吗 or using a question word.
吗 question
wèntí bèi jiějué le ma
问题被解决了吗？
Has the problem been solved?
吗 question
nǐ de diànnǎo bèi xiū hǎo le ma
你的电脑被修好了吗？
Has your computer been repaired?
Question word
wǒ de kāfēi bèi shéi hē le
我的咖啡被谁喝了？
Who drank my coffee?
Literally, this means:
My coffee was drunk by whom?
The question word 谁 stays after 被 because it replaces the unknown doer.
Another question
huìyì wèishénme bèi qǔxiāo le
会议为什么被取消了？
Why was the meeting cancelled?
11. 被 vs. 把
把 and 被 can sometimes describe the same event, but they focus on different things.
把 sentence
wǒ bǎ mén dǎ kāi le
我把门打开了。
I opened the door.
This sentence focuses on what 我 did to the door.
被 sentence
mén bèi wǒ dǎ kāi le
门被我打开了。
The door was opened by me.
This sentence focuses on what happened to the door.
Compare another pair:
把 sentence
háizimen bǎ dàngāo chī wán le
孩子们把蛋糕吃完了。
The children finished the cake.
被 sentence
dàngāo bèi háizimen chī wán le
蛋糕被孩子们吃完了。
The cake was finished by the children.
A simple way to remember the difference is:
把 focuses on what the doer did to something.
被 focuses on what happened to the affected person or thing.
12. When Chinese Does Not Need 被
Do not translate every English passive sentence directly into a 被 sentence.
Chinese often prefers an active sentence or a sentence describing the final state.
English
Chinese is spoken in China.
A natural Chinese sentence is:
zài Zhōngguó，rénmen shuō Hànyǔ
在中国，人们说汉语。
People speak Chinese in China.
It would sound unnatural to translate this directly as “汉语被说……”
English
Dinner is ready.
A natural Chinese sentence is:
fàn zuò hǎo le
饭做好了。
Dinner is ready.
You do not need to say who prepared it, and 被 is unnecessary.
English
The door is open.
A natural Chinese sentence is:
mén kāi le
门开了。
The door is open.
Use 被 when you want to emphasize the action, the person responsible, or the effect on the subject.
13. Common Beginner Mistakes
Mistake 1: Putting the doer before 被
Incorrect:
dìdi wǒ de shǒujī bèi ná zǒu le
弟弟我的手机被拿走了。❌
Correct:
wǒ de shǒujī bèi dìdi ná zǒu le
我的手机被弟弟拿走了。✅
My phone was taken away by my younger brother.
Mistake 2: Putting 没 after 被
Incorrect:
wǒ de shū bèi tā méi ná zǒu
我的书被他没拿走。❌
Correct:
wǒ de shū méi bèi tā ná zǒu
我的书没被他拿走。✅
My book was not taken away by him.
Mistake 3: Adding 是 before 被
Incorrect:
wǒ de shǒujī shì bèi tā ná zǒu le
我的手机是被他拿走了。❌
Correct basic sentence:
wǒ de shǒujī bèi tā ná zǒu le
我的手机被他拿走了。✅
My phone was taken away by him.
A structure such as 是……的 can sometimes be used for emphasis, but beginners do not need it in a basic 被 sentence.
Mistake 4: Leaving the sentence unfinished
Less natural:
zhè běn shū bèi wǒ kàn le
这本书被我看了。
More natural when you mean that you finished it:
zhè běn shū bèi wǒ kàn wán le
这本书被我看完了。
I finished reading this book.
Try to explain the result of the action when the result matters.
Mistake 5: Using 被 only for negative situations
被 can also describe positive results:
tā bèi lǎoshī biǎoyáng le
他被老师表扬了。
He was praised by the teacher.
tā bèi dàxué lùqǔ le
她被大学录取了。
She was accepted by the university.
14. A Short Everyday Dialogue
Emma
wèishénme huìyì qǔxiāo le
为什么会议取消了？
Why was the meeting cancelled?
Ray
yīnwèi tiānqì bù hǎo，huìyì bèi qǔxiāo le
因为天气不好，会议被取消了。
The meeting was cancelled because of the bad weather.
Emma
nà xīn shíjiān ānpái hǎo le ma
那新时间安排好了吗？
Has the new time been arranged?
Ray
hái méiyǒu。ānpái hǎo le，wǒ jiù gàosu nǐ
还没有。安排好了，我就告诉你。
Not yet. I’ll let you know when it has been arranged.
15. Sentence Pattern Practice
Pattern
Affected person or thing + 被 + doer + verb + result
Build each sentence in the correct order.
Sentence 1
English: My phone was taken away by my younger brother.
手机 / 被 / 我的 / 弟弟 / 拿走了
Sentence 2
English: The cake was completely eaten by the children.
吃完了 / 蛋糕 / 孩子们 / 被
Sentence 3
English: The door was blown open by the wind.
风 / 门 / 吹开了 / 被
Sentence 4
English: My wallet was stolen.
偷了 / 我的钱包 / 被
Sentence 5
English: He was praised by the teacher.
老师 / 他 / 表扬了 / 被
Sentence 6
English: The meeting has not been cancelled yet.
取消 / 会议 / 被 / 还没
Sentence 7
English: This problem should be taken seriously.
认真对待 / 应该 / 这个问题 / 被
Sentence 8
English: Has the problem been solved?
解决 / 问题 / 了吗 / 被
16. Practice Answers
Answer 1
wǒ de shǒujī bèi dìdi ná zǒu le
我的手机被弟弟拿走了。
My phone was taken away by my younger brother.
Answer 2
dàngāo bèi háizimen chī wán le
蛋糕被孩子们吃完了。
The cake was completely eaten by the children.
Answer 3
mén bèi fēng chuī kāi le
门被风吹开了。
The door was blown open by the wind.
Answer 4
wǒ de qiánbāo bèi tōu le
我的钱包被偷了。
My wallet was stolen.
Answer 5
tā bèi lǎoshī biǎoyáng le
他被老师表扬了。
He was praised by the teacher.
Answer 6
huìyì hái méi bèi qǔxiāo
会议还没被取消。
The meeting has not been cancelled yet.
Answer 7
zhège wèntí yīnggāi bèi rènzhēn duìdài
这个问题应该被认真对待。
This problem should be taken seriously.
Answer 8
wèntí bèi jiějué le ma
问题被解决了吗？
Has the problem been solved?
17. Make It Personal
Complete these sentences with your own ideas.
Something was taken away
wǒ de ______ bèi ______ ná zǒu le
我的______被______拿走了。
My ______ was taken away by ______.
Something was broken
______ bèi ______ nòng huài le
______被______弄坏了。
______ was damaged by ______.
Something has not been completed
______ hái méi bèi ______
还没被。
______ has not been ______ yet.
A positive experience
wǒ bèi ______ biǎoyáng le
我被______表扬了。
I was praised by ______.
Key Takeaway
The basic 被 sentence is:
Affected person or thing + 被 + doer + action and result
For example:
wǒ de shǒujī bèi dìdi ná zǒu le
我的手机被弟弟拿走了。
My phone was taken away by my younger brother.
Remember these four points:
- The affected person or thing comes first.
- 被 introduces the person or thing responsible for the action.
- The doer can be omitted when it is unknown or unimportant.
- 被 sentences often include a clear result such as 完、走、开、好 or 了.
Do not worry about using 被 in every possible passive sentence.
Start with situations where something was clearly changed, moved, damaged, completed, cancelled, praised, or otherwise affected.
Once you understand that idea, 被 sentences become much easier.
Next Grammar Topic
The 把 Sentence: How to Show What You Did to Something
Learn how 把 changes the focus of a sentence and how it differs from 被.