被 + agent + verb phrase marks passive voice, focusing on what happened to the subject rather than who performed it.
Affected subject - the sentence topic receives the action
Agent optional - 被 + agent can be included or omitted
Common nuance - often unwanted/negative outcome, but neutral use is also possible
See examples below for varied real-world usage.
Do not overuse 被
- Chinese often prefers active voice unless affectedness is important.
Agent can be dropped
- 他被批評了 / 他被老師批評了 are both valid.
Watch register and tone
- 被 can sound heavier than active phrasing in casual contexts.
My phone was stolen.
He was praised by the teacher.
The meeting was canceled.
This issue was discussed for a long time.
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