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Use 被 when the person or thing affected by an action is the focus of the sentence.
被 (bèi) is often called the passive marker in Mandarin, but a more useful question is: who or what was affected? In everyday speech, 被 helps you talk about a phone being stolen, clothes getting soaked or a person being invited.
The Basic 被 Pattern
The core structure is affected subject + 被 + agent + verb + result or other information.
我的手机被人偷走了。
Wǒ de shǒujī bèi rén tōu zǒu le.
My phone was stolen by someone.
我的手机 is the affected thing, 人 is the agent and 偷走 tells us what happened. When the agent is unknown or unimportant, leave it out:
我的手机被偷走了。
Wǒ de shǒujī bèi tōu zǒu le.
My phone was stolen.
When Something Happens to You
被 often describes an everyday result that affects someone directly.
被 is especially common when the result is inconvenient, surprising or unwanted.
我被雨淋湿了。
Wǒ bèi yǔ lín shī le.
I got soaked by the rain.
我的蛋糕被弟弟吃掉了。
Wǒ de dàngāo bèi dìdi chī diào le.
My cake was eaten by my younger brother.
他被老板批评了。
Tā bèi lǎobǎn pīpíng le.
He was criticised by his boss.
The person or thing at the front is what the listener should notice.
被 Is Not Always Negative
被 can also describe a neutral or positive event.
被 can describe good news as well as problems.
她被选为班长。
Tā bèi xuǎn wéi bānzhǎng.
She was chosen as class monitor.
我们被邀请参加婚礼。
Wǒmen bèi yāoqǐng cānjiā hūnlǐ.
We were invited to a wedding.
这个问题已经被解决了。
Zhège wèntí yǐjīng bèi jiějué le.
This problem has already been solved.
The last example is more formal. In conversation, an active sentence is often better when the person doing the action is the main focus.
Common Mistakes and Useful Alternatives
First, do not put 被 before an adjective on its own. Say 我很累 (Wǒ hěn lèi, “I am tired”), not 我被累. If work caused the result, you can say 我被工作累坏了 (Wǒ bèi gōngzuò lèi huài le, “I was exhausted by work”).
English uses the passive voice more freely than Chinese. 大家都喜欢我 (Dàjiā dōu xǐhuan wǒ, “Everyone likes me”) is more natural than 我被大家喜欢. Use 被 when the affected person or thing is important.
In spoken Mandarin, you may also hear 让 (ràng), 叫 (jiào) or 给 (gěi) used in passive sentences. Beginners can safely use 被 first because it is clear and widely understood.
The word 被 itself does not mean “was”. You can use it with negatives and modal verbs: 我不想被发现 (*Wǒ bù xiǎng bèi fāxiàn*, “I do not want to be discovered”).
Useful Chinese Words and Phrases
- 被偷了was stolen
- 被雨淋湿了got soaked by the rain
- 被邀请be invited
- 被批评be criticised
- 被发现be discovered
A Short Everyday Conversation
A short conversation makes the affected-subject pattern easier to remember.
A: 你的手机怎么了？
Nǐ de shǒujī zěnme le?
What happened to your phone?
B: 昨天在地铁上被人偷走了。
Zuótiān zài dìtiě shàng bèi rén tōu zǒu le.
It was stolen on the metro yesterday.
A: 你报警了吗？
Nǐ bào jǐng le ma?
Did you report it?
B: 报了，但是还没找到。
Bào le, dànshì hái méi zhǎodào.
I did, but they have not found it yet.
Final Takeaway
Think of 被 as the “what happened to...?” pattern. Put the affected person or thing first, then use 被 with a clear action or result. It is useful for daily problems, good news and short stories about what happened.