HSK 3Sentence Structure
Passive with 被
被 marks the passive voice, often for undesirable events.
Pattern
Subject + 被 + (Agent) + Verb + Complement
Explanation
被 marks the passive: the subject receives the action. Traditionally used for negative/undesirable events, though modern usage has expanded.
The agent (doer) can be omitted. Like 把 sentences, the verb needs a complement or 了.
Examples
我的手机被偷了。
Wǒ de shǒujī bèi tōu le.
My phone was stolen.
蛋糕被他吃了。
Dàngāo bèi tā chī le.
The cake was eaten by him.
花瓶被打碎了。
Huāpíng bèi dǎ suì le.
The vase was broken.
Common Mistakes
Wrong
我的手机被偷。
Correct
我的手机被偷了。
Verb in 被 sentence needs a complement or 了.
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