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被 sentences (the passive)
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Where's my bike?
- You come out of the library and your bike is gone.
- my我(modifier / structural particle)的bike自行车(was)被person人stolen偷(completed / change)了！ — "My bike has been stolen!"
Receiver + (was)被 (+ doer) + Verb + result
- (was)被 marks the passive: the subject receives the action. The doer can follow (was)被 or be left out.
- As with (把: marks the object)把, the verb needs something after it: (completed / change)了, a result or a place.
my我的bike自行车(was)被stolen偷了。
Complete: “My wallet was stolen.” 我的钱包____偷了。
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Receiver + 被 + verb + 了.
Often bad news
- (was)被 sentences often report something unwelcome: he / him他(was)被teacher老师to criticize批评(completed / change)了。 — "He was told off by the teacher."
- the cake蛋糕(was)被my younger brother弟弟eat吃up完(completed / change)了。 — "The cake was eaten up by my little brother."
the cake蛋糕by被my younger brother弟弟eat吃up完了。
Build: “The cake was eaten up by my little brother.”
Difficulty 3/5 · 200 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Receiver + 被 + doer + verb + result + 了.
Complete verb, negative first
- The verb cannot stand alone: bike自行车(was)被stolen偷(completed / change)了, not bike自行车(was)被stolen偷.
- Put not / haven't没 before (was)被: my我(modifier / structural particle)的cell phone手机not / haven't没(was)被stolen偷, not my我(modifier / structural particle)的cell phone手机(was)被not / haven't没stolen偷.
Which says “My phone wasn't taken”?
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
没 goes before 被.
(was)被 versus (把: marks the object)把
- (把: marks the object)把 starts with the doer: my younger brother弟弟(把: marks the object)把the cake蛋糕eat吃up完(completed / change)了。
- (was)被 starts with the receiver: the cake蛋糕(was)被my younger brother弟弟eat吃up完(completed / change)了。 Same event, different starting point.
my younger brother弟弟把the cake蛋糕eat吃up完了。
弟弟把蛋糕吃完了 and 蛋糕被弟弟吃完了 describe the same event.
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Both say the brother ate the cake; they start from different points.
Recap
- Receiver + (was)被 (+ doer) + Verb + result/(completed / change)了 = was done (by …); often unwelcome news.
- not / haven't没 goes before (was)被. (把: marks the object)把 starts from the doer, (was)被 from the receiver.
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Sentence patterns.
You come out of the library and your bike is gone. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.