What does 被 do?
被 ♬ is often compared with the English passive voice, but it is not just a grammar form. A 被 sentence usually puts the affected person or thing first and shows what happened to it.
| Pattern | Basic function |
|---|---|
| A + 被 + B + Verb phrase | A is affected by B’s action |
The most important idea is “affected.” A good 被 sentence usually includes a clear result, change, damage, completion, or consequence.
1. 被 marks the affected subject
In a 被 sentence, the subject is usually the person or thing affected by the action. The doer can appear after 被.
| Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A + 被 + B + Verb + Result | A was affected by B and reached a result |
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 系統被工程師修好了。 ♬ | The system was fixed by the engineer. |
| 段落被編輯刪掉了。 ♬ | The paragraph was deleted by the editor. |
Here, 系統 and 段落 come first because they are the affected things.
2. 被 often needs a result or consequence
A natural 被 sentence often has a result complement, direction complement, completion marker, or another phrase that shows what happened to the subject.
| Less complete | More natural |
|---|---|
| 文件被主管看。 | 文件被主管看完了。 ♬ |
| 資料被助理整理。 | 資料被助理整理好了。 ♬ |
The verb phrase should not feel empty. The sentence should tell us the result or effect on the subject.
3. The doer can be omitted
If the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious, the noun after 被 can be omitted. This is common when the focus is on the affected subject.
| Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A + 被 + Verb phrase | A was affected; the doer is not stated |
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 帳號被鎖住了。 ♬ | The account was locked. |
| 備份檔被刪掉了。 ♬ | The backup file was deleted. |
This structure is useful when the result matters more than who caused it.
4. 被 often suggests negative or unexpected impact
被 is often used when something bad, unwanted, or unexpected happens to the subject. This is not always required, but it is a common feeling.
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 會議被臨時取消了。 ♬ | The meeting was suddenly canceled. |
| 密碼被別人改掉了。 ♬ | The password was changed by someone else. |
Because of this affected or unwanted feeling, 被 is common in complaints, reports, incidents, and problem descriptions.
5. 被 can also be neutral
Although 被 often sounds negative, it can also be neutral in formal writing, news, reports, or technical descriptions.
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 資料被轉換成圖表。 ♬ | The data was converted into charts. |
| 樣品被送到實驗室檢測。 ♬ | The sample was sent to the laboratory for testing. |
In formal contexts, 被 can simply organize information around the affected item.
6. 被 vs. 把
把 puts the object after the subject and emphasizes what the doer does to it. 被 puts the affected thing first and emphasizes what happened to it.
| 把 sentence | 被 sentence | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 工程師把系統修好了。 ♬ | 系統被工程師修好了。 ♬ | doer’s handling vs. affected subject |
| 編輯把段落刪掉了。 ♬ | 段落被編輯刪掉了。 ♬ | action disposal vs. result on the paragraph |
Use 把 when the doer’s action is the starting point. Use 被 when the affected thing is the starting point.
7. Do not use 被 for simple states or identity
Do not use 被 when the sentence only describes identity, possession, location, or a simple state. There is no affected event.
| Not natural | Natural Chinese |
|---|---|
| 這份文件被是合約。 | 這份文件是合約。 ♬ |
| 帳號被有問題。 | 帳號有問題。 ♬ |
| 備份檔被在雲端硬碟裡。 | 備份檔在雲端硬碟裡。 ♬ |
The not-natural examples are only for comparison, so they do not need audio.
8. 被 with 給 in spoken Chinese
In spoken Mandarin, especially in Taiwan, you may hear 被…給…. The 給 can add emphasis to the affected result, often with an unwanted or surprising feeling.
| Chinese | English | Feeling |
|---|---|---|
| 我的檔案被他給刪掉了。 ♬ | My file got deleted by him. | stronger affected feeling |
| 整個畫面被廣告給擋住了。 ♬ | The whole screen got blocked by the ad. | annoyance or impact |
This pattern is expressive and colloquial. In formal writing, a simpler 被 sentence is often enough.
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