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| − | 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.
| + | #REDIRECT [[Bei sentence]] |
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| − | == What they are ==
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| − | For the sake of clarity, let's give some English examples:
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| − | * The boy '''ate''' the hot dog. (normal sentence in the active voice; note that "the hot dog" is the object of the verb "ate")
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| − | * 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)
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| − | * The hot dog '''was eaten'''. (also in the passive voice, but with the agent omitted)
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| − | Now let's see those same sentences in Chinese:
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| − | * <span class="liju">男孩 吃 了 热狗 。</span>
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| − | * <span class="liju">热狗 被 男孩 吃 了 。</span>
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| − | * <span class="liju">热狗 被 吃 了 。</span>
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| − | == Why use them? ==
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| − | Passive sentences are used for several main reasons<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415700108?ie=UTF8&tag=sinosplice-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0415700108 Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide], Section 17.3, "Conditions for using the passive in Mandarin"</ref>:
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| − | # To indicate that one has been negatively affected.
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| − | #* <span class="liju">我 被 开除 了 。</span> ''I have been fired.''
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| − | #* <span class="liju">我的 热狗 被 吃 了 。</span> ''My hot dog has been eaten.''
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| − | # To shift emphasis from the "doer" of the action to the one affected by that action.
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| − | #* <span class="liju">我的 老师 肯定 不 会 被 开除 。</span> ''My teacher will definitely not be fired.''
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| − | #* <span class="liju">只 有 那些 很 好吃 的 热狗 被 吃掉 。</span> ''Only those really tasty hot dogs were eaten.''
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| − | # To avoid having to mention the "doer" of the action, either because it is unknown, or for other reasons.
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| − | #* <span class="liju">我 被 开除 了 。</span> ''I have been fired.''
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| − | #* <span class="liju">我的 热狗 被 吃了 。</span> ''My hot dog has been eaten.''
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| − | == How to use them ==
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| − | Normal use of 被 has a few preconditions:
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| − | # The verb to be used with 被 needs to have an object (this will become the new subject of the 被 sentence).
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| − | # If you're going to state ''who the verb was done by'' (the agent), then the subject doing the original action must be known.
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| − | # The verb can't be too simple (for example, a one-character verb like 吃). Put simply, ''something needs to come after the verb''.
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| − | === Forming a 被 Sentence ===
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| − | Let's use our example above to show how the process works:
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| − | * <span class="liju">男孩 吃 了 热狗 。</span>
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| − | In this sentence, "the boy" is the subject. The verb is 吃, "to eat," but ''it needs something else after it'', which is 了 in this case. The object is 热狗, "the hot dog."
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| − | This sentence meets all the preconditions. Now all you need to do is introduce the preposition 被 and move the parts of the sentence around a bit:
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| − | # The object is 热狗. Move that to the front; it's the new subject in the 被 sentence. | |
| − | # Add 被 after the subject, then insert what was previously the subject. (It's now the ''agent''.)
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| − | # Finish off with the verb phrase 吃了. (Don't forget to include the part that comes after the verb!)
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| − | So the new 被 sentence is:
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| − | * <span class="liju">热狗 被 男孩 吃 了 。</span>
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| − | Here's a diagram illustrating the process of converting a regular sentence into a 被 sentence:
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| − | [[image:bei-sentences-diagram.png]] | |
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| − | === Forming a 被 Sentence with No Agent ===
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| − | If we want to, we can also omit the agent (男孩) and say:
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| − | * <span class="liju">热狗 被 吃 了 。</span>
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| − | [[image:bei-sentences-no-agent-diagram.png]]
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| − | === Forming a Negative 被 Sentence ===
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| − | There's just one other complication. What if you want to make a sentence in the ''negative''? For example, continuing with our wonderful theme, if you wanted to say:
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| − | * The hot dog '''was not eaten''' by the boy.
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| − | In this case, the negative adverb 没有 needs to be inserted ''before the 被''<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415700108?ie=UTF8&tag=sinosplice-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0415700108 Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide], Section 17.2, "The passive and negation"</ref>, like so:
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| − | [[image:bei-sentences-neg-diagram.png]]
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| − | == Advanced modern usage ==
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| − | 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 foul play or underlying statistical falsification.<ref>[http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2206 Suicided: the adversative passive as a form of active resistance] (Victor Mair on Language Log)</ref><ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forced_disappearance#Linguistic_considerations Forced disappearance: Linguistic considerations] (Wikipedia)</ref>
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| − | Examples include:
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| − | * 被和谐 to be harmonized
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| − | * 被自杀 to be suicided
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| − | * 被毕业 to be graduated
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| − | * 被就业 to be employed
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| − | * 被旅游 to be (forced to) travel
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| − | * 被代表 to be represented
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| − | * 被失踪 to be disappeared
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| − | == References ==
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| − | <references/>
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| − | == External links ==
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| − | ChinesePod (free content): [http://chinesepod.com/lessons/passive-verbs-and-%E8%A2%AB Qing Wen - Passive Verbs and 被]
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