Bei Sentences

Bei Sentences (被字句) are a key way to express the passive in modern Mandarin Chinese. In passive sentences, the object of an action becomes the subject of the sentence, and what would have been the subject of the normal (active voice) sentence, the "doer" of the action, becomes the agent, and may or may not be indicated.

What they are

For the sake of clarity, let's give some English examples:

• The boy ate the hot dog. (normal sentence in the active voice; note that "the hot dog" is the object of the verb "ate")
• The hot dog was eaten by the boy. (the same sentence in the passive voice; "the hot dog" is now the subject, and "the boy" is the agent)
• The hot dog was eaten. (also in the passive voice, but with the agent omitted)

Now let's see those same sentences in Chinese:

• 男孩 吃 了 热狗 。
• 热狗 被 男孩 吃 了 。
• 热狗 被 吃 了 。

Why use them?

Passive sentences are used for several main reasons:

1. To indicate that one has been negatively affected.
   • 我 被 开除 了 。 I have been fired.
   • 我的 热狗 被 吃 了 。 My hot dog has been eaten.
2. To shift emphasis from the "doer" of the action to the one affected by that action.
   • 我的 老师 肯定 不 会 被 开除 。 My teacher will definitely not be fired.
   • 只 有 那些 很 好吃 的 热狗 被 吃掉 。 Only those really tasty hot dogs were eaten.
3. To avoid having to mention the "doer" of the action, either because it is unknown, or for other reasons.
   • 我 被 开除 了 。 I have been fired.
   • 我的 热狗 被 吃了 。 My hot dog has been eaten.

How to use them

How

Advanced modern usage

In recent years, special uses of 被 have popped up online. These uses occur with verbs which don't normally ever use 被, in order to emphasize a lack of control over the action, often including some kind of underlying statistical falsification.

Examples include:

• 被和谐 to be harmonized
• 被自杀 to be suicided
• 被毕业 to be graduated
• 被就业 to be employed
• 被旅游 to be (forced to) travel
• 被代表 to be represented
• 被失踪 to be disappeared

External links

ChinesePod: Qing Wen - Passive Verbs and 被