The Passive with 被
When the subject undergoes the action
S + 被 (+ agent) + Verb + complement
被 (bèi) constructs the passive: the subject undergoes the action. The agent is optional. As with 把, the verb is followed by a complement.
Subject + 被 (+ agent) + Verb + complement
A often negative nuance
被 often colors the sentence with a nuance of misfortune: one suffers something unpleasant. For a neutral passive, Chinese often prefers an active construction.
All grammar lessons · HSK 4 vocabulary · Graded readings
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