被 marks the passive voice in Chinese. Unlike in English, the Chinese passive often carries a negative or undesirable nuance.
Structure: Subject + 被 + (Agent) + Verb + Complement
My wallet was stolen.
Key points:
• Agent (doer) can be omitted if unknown
• Usually used for unpleasant or uncontrollable events
• Verb typically needs a complement (了, result, etc.)
Common patterns:
• 被...打 (was hit by)
• 被...罵 (was scolded by)
• 被...偷 (was stolen by)
• 被...發現 (was discovered by)
Neutral/formal passive:
For neutral events (especially in writing), other passive markers exist:
• 被 - Most common, often negative
• 讓/叫/給 - Colloquial alternatives
• 為...所 - Literary/formal
被 = passive marker
- 被打了 (was hit)
- 書被拿走了 (book was taken)
Often negative connotation
- 被罵 (was scolded)
Agent optional: 被(人)打了
I was hit by him.
The cake was eaten.
My phone was stolen.
He was scolded by the teacher.
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