Disposal & Passive: 把, 被, 叫, 让
介词：把、被、叫、让
Use 把 for disposal constructions and 被/叫/让 for passive constructions
The 把 construction moves the object before the verb to emphasize what happens to it. The 被/叫/让 constructions create passive sentences where the subject is acted upon. 被 is standard, 叫 and 让 are colloquial alternatives.
The verb in 把/被 sentences must be "complex" — it needs a complement, 了, 在, 到, or some other element after it. You cannot say *把书看 — you need 把书看完了. 叫 and 让 in passive use are spoken Chinese; 被 works in all registers.
Lesson Targets
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Podcast: Disposal & Passive: 把, 被, 叫, 让 (介词：把、被、叫、让)
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Understanding 介词：把、被、叫、让
This grammar point covers four of the most important prepositions in Chinese, split into two groups. The 把 construction is used when you want to emphasize what happens to an object — you move the object before the verb and describe the result. For example, 我把手机放在书包里了 highlights what happened to the phone (it was placed in the bag). The 被, 叫, and 让 constructions create passive sentences — the subject receives the action rather than performing it. 被 is the standard passive marker: 裙子被我弄脏了 (the skirt was dirtied by me). 叫 and 让 work the same way but are more colloquial: 手机叫我弄坏了, 车让朋友借走了. A critical rule for all four: the verb must have an additional element (complement, 了, directional word) — bare verbs do not work in these constructions.
Key Points
- 把 moves the object before the verb to show disposal: 把 + object + verb + result.
- 被 creates standard passive sentences: subject + 被 + (agent) + verb + result.
- 叫 and 让 are spoken alternatives to 被 — same grammar, more casual tone.
- The agent (doer) after 被/叫/让 is optional: 杯子被打破了 (the cup was broken).
- CRITICAL: The verb must have a complement, 了, 在, 到, or other element. Bare verbs are wrong.
- 把 sentences focus on what the doer does TO the object (disposal).
- 被 sentences focus on what happens TO the subject (passive/recipient).
- 被 can carry a slightly negative tone — things being lost, broken, or damaged.
In traditional Chinese grammar, 被 sentences often describe unfortunate events — things being broken, lost, stolen, or damaged. While modern Chinese uses 被 for positive events too (被选为班长 — was elected class president), the association with misfortune persists. You will notice many textbook 被 examples involve things going wrong!
Key Vocabulary
Example Sentences
我看见你把手机放在书包里了。
I saw you put the phone in the bag.
裙子被我弄脏了。
The skirt was dirtied by me.
手机叫我弄坏了。
The phone was broken by me.
Colloquial passive — same as 被
我的车让朋友借走了。
My car was borrowed by a friend.
Colloquial passive — same as 被
请把门关上。
Please close the door.
他把作业做完了。
He finished the homework.
钱包被小偷偷走了。
The wallet was stolen by a thief.
蛋糕被孩子们吃光了。
The cake was eaten up by the children.
Common Mistakes
In 把 sentences, the verb cannot stand alone. It needs a complement (完), 了, or another element showing the result or completion of the action.
In 被 sentences, the verb also needs additional elements. Here, 了 marks the completed action.
把 is only used when something physical or concrete happens to the object — it cannot be used with mental state verbs like 喜欢, 知道, or 觉得.
Practice Exercises
Tips & Tricks
Think of 把 as "take the object and do something to it" — it always implies a result or change of state.
For 被/叫/让, think "something happened TO the subject" — the subject is the receiver, not the doer.
Always add something after the verb in 把/被 sentences: a complement (完, 好, 到), 了, 在, or a directional word (走, 来).
When in doubt between 被, 叫, and 让 for passive, use 被 — it is always correct. Use 叫/让 only in casual conversation.
Homework
Write four 把 sentences about things you did today (cleaning, organizing, finishing tasks) and four 被/叫/让 sentences about things that happened to objects (things being broken, lost, eaten, or borrowed).
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