Passive Sentences with 被, 叫, and 让
被动句1：主语+被/叫/让+宾语+动词+其他成分
Express passive meaning using 被, 叫, or 让 to indicate the subject is affected by an action
The subject receives the action rather than performing it. 被, 叫, or 让 introduces the doer of the action. The verb must be followed by a complement, 了, or other additional element — it cannot stand alone.
被 is the most formal and standard passive marker. 叫 and 让 are more colloquial. In spoken Chinese, 让 and 叫 are very common. The agent (doer) can sometimes be omitted: 那个手机被用坏了 (The phone was worn out from use).
Lesson Targets
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Podcast: Passive Sentences with 被, 叫, and 让 (被动句1：主语+被/叫/让+宾语+动词+其他成分)
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Understanding 被动句1：主语+被/叫/让+宾语+动词+其他成分
Chinese passive sentences work differently from English. In English, the passive voice is neutral — "The book was read." In Chinese, passive sentences with 被 often carry a negative or unfortunate connotation — something bad or undesirable happened to the subject. You would say 我的词典被弟弟弄丢了 (My dictionary was lost by my brother) because losing a dictionary is unfortunate. However, modern Chinese increasingly uses 被 in neutral or even positive contexts, especially in formal writing. The colloquial alternatives 叫 and 让 feel more natural in everyday conversation. Like 把 sentences, passive sentences require the verb to have additional elements after it — a result complement, 了, or a descriptive complement. You cannot say *书被他看 — you must say 书被他看完了.
Key Points
- 被 (bèi) is the standard passive marker, often implying something unfortunate happened.
- 叫 (jiào) and 让 (ràng) are colloquial passive markers used in spoken Chinese.
- The verb must have a complement, 了, or other element — it cannot stand alone.
- The doer can be omitted: 窗户被打破了 (The window was broken).
- Traditional 被 sentences often express negative events: loss, damage, misfortune.
- Modern Chinese uses 被 more broadly, including in positive and neutral contexts.
- Word order: Subject (receiver) + 被/叫/让 + (doer) + verb + complement/了.
Traditionally, 被 was almost exclusively used for unfortunate events. There is even a modern internet slang term 被XX (bèi XX) — meaning someone was forced into a situation. For example, 被加班 means "forced to work overtime." This reflects how deeply the negative connotation of 被 runs in Chinese culture.
Key Vocabulary
Example Sentences
那个手机早被我用坏了。
That phone was already worn out by me from use.
我的词典叫弟弟弄丢了。
My dictionary was lost by my younger brother.
叫 = colloquial passive
他完全让这位姑娘迷住了。
He was completely captivated by this young lady.
让 = colloquial passive
我的自行车被人偷走了。
My bicycle was stolen by someone.
蛋糕被孩子们吃完了。
The cake was all eaten by the children.
窗户叫风吹开了。
The window was blown open by the wind.
那封信让妈妈看见了。
That letter was seen by mom.
Common Mistakes
The verb in a passive sentence must have a complement or 了. 弄丢 alone is incomplete — add 了.
The verb cannot stand alone in a 被 sentence. Add a result complement (完) and/or 了.
The receiver (那个杯子) must come first as the subject, before 被.
Practice Exercises
Tips & Tricks
Default to 被 in writing; use 叫 or 让 in casual conversation.
Ask yourself: is the subject the one affected (not the one acting)? If yes, consider a passive sentence.
Remember that 被 sentences traditionally carry a negative tone — use them naturally for bad news.
The verb always needs something extra: a complement (完, 坏, 走, 住) or 了.
Homework
Write eight passive sentences about unfortunate or surprising events: two with 被, three with 叫, and three with 让. Include a variety of complements after the verbs.
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