bèi

Using "bei" sentences

被 is the passive — and in Chinese it usually carries the sense that what happened was unwelcome.

Subj. + 被 + (Doer) + Verb + Extra

How it works

我被他骗了 — I was cheated by him. Like 把, the verb needs something after it, most often 了.

The doer can be left out: 我的自行车被偷了 — my bike got stolen.

Chinese uses the passive far less than English, and traditionally for bad outcomes. For neutral statements, a plain active sentence is more natural.

Examples

  • wǒ bèi tā piàn le

    我被他骗了。

    I was cheated by him.

  • wǒ de zì xíng chē bèi tōu le

    我的自行车被偷了。

    My bike was stolen.

  • tā bèi lǎo bǎn mà le yí dùn

    他被老板骂了一顿。

    He got told off by the boss.