B1 Chinese: Master the 被 Passive — Sound Natural When Things “Happen” to You

Ever needed to say “My phone was stolen” or “The door was closed” in Chinese? That’s where the 被 passive shines. In daily Mandarin, 被 lets you talk about things that happened to you or to objects — often with a slightly negative or unfortunate tone.

In this lesson, you’ll learn the core 被 structure, when to include or omit the “doer,” and how to sound natural with real-world verbs. You’ll practice with short exercises and get cultural notes to avoid common pitfalls.

What is a 被 sentence?

A 被 sentence is a passive construction: the subject is the receiver of the action, not the doer.

Basic pattern:

  • Subject + 被 + agent (doer) + verb (+ complement) (+ 了)

Examples:

  • 我的手机被偷了。My phone was stolen.
  • 他被老板批评了。He was criticized by the boss.
  • 门被风关上了。The door was closed by the wind.

Often, the agent can be omitted if it’s unknown or irrelevant:

  • 包裹被弄丢了。The package was lost. (by someone, unspecified)

Notice the tone: 被 often describes unpleasant or unwanted events.

被 bèi
by; passive marker
particle
我的手机被偷了。
My phone was stolen.
Mandarin
他被老板批评了。
Lit: He bei boss criticize le.
He was criticized by the boss.

我的手机被了。

Natural subjects in 被 sentences

In Chinese, the subject of a 被 sentence is typically the thing affected, not the person who suffers emotionally.

  • 我的钱包被偷了。Correct, because the wallet (the thing affected) is the subject.
  • 我被钱包偷了。Wrong, because a wallet doesn’t do the stealing.

Similarly:

  • 门被风关上了。The door is the affected thing.
  • 咖啡被我喝完了。Grammatically okay, but often we prefer active 把 for positive results: 我把咖啡喝完了。
我被钱包偷了。 → 我的钱包被偷了。 Make the affected thing (钱包) the subject of 被.
小偷 xiǎotōu
thief
noun
我的包被小偷偷了。
My bag was stolen by a thief.
批评 pīpíng
to criticize
verb
他被老师批评了。
He was criticized by the teacher.

被 vs. other ways

You’ll also hear 让/叫 used like 被 in casual speech:

  • 我让他骗了。I got tricked by him. (spoken)

And for positive, controlled results, 把 is more common:

  • 我把作业做完了。I finished my homework. (active, resultative)

被 highlights the receiving side of the action; 把 highlights the doing and the result.

取消 qǔxiāo
to cancel
verb
会议被经理取消了。
The meeting was canceled by the manager.
🔠 Put the words in order

Put the affected object first, then 被 + agent + verb.

Mandarin
门被打开了。
Lit: Door bei open le.
The door was opened.
弄丢 nòngdiū
to lose (accidentally)
verb
包裹被快递弄丢了。
The package was lost by the courier.
💬 Reorder the conversation
🧠 Check your understanding — 被 passive
他被批评老板了。 → 他被老板批评了。 Agent (老板) must come right after 被, before the verb.
被 passive marker / cover 动 action / move 句 sentence

Mini-practice: choose the subject wisely

Think of the thing affected and make it the subject.

  • 错误：我被门关上了。

  • 正确：门被关上了。

  • 错误：我被雨淋湿了。 (This focuses on “me,” but better to pick the affected thing or rephrase.)

  • 更自然：我被雨淋了，衣服都湿了。 or 雨把我淋湿了 is nonstandard; prefer active: 下雨了，我全身都湿了。

In many real-life cases, you can simply say what happened without 被 if the cause is natural: 下雨了，我全身都湿了。

关上 guānshàng
to close (something shuts)
verb
窗户被风关上了。
The window was closed by the wind.

Culture and usage notes

  • 被 often carries an “unfortunate” flavor, which is why you’ll hear it with 偷、骗、批评、取消、弄丢.
  • For neutral/objective reporting (news, signs), 被 is common: “道路被封闭” (The road is closed).
  • In everyday chat, if you did the action successfully, use active patterns (often with 把): 我把问题解决了。

Keep your 被 sentences short and focused. Use the affected thing as the subject, include the agent only when helpful, and pick a resultative complement when natural (偷了、打开了、关上了、弄丢了).

Mandarin
包裹被快递弄丢了，我已经联系了客服。
Lit: Package bei courier lose le, I already contacted customer service.
The package was lost by the courier; I’ve already contacted customer service.

Summary

  • Pattern: Subject + 被 + Agent + Verb (+ complement) (+ 了)
  • Agent optional; 被 often used for unwanted results.
  • Prefer 把 for positive, controlled outcomes.

Keep practicing with daily verbs like 偷、批评、取消、关上、弄丢 so your 被 sentences sound natural in real life. 加油！