Passive Sentences with 被 / 让 / 叫 (bèi / ràng / jiào)

Pattern

• Subject + 被 + (Agent) + Verb + Complement/了
• Subject + 让 / 叫 + Agent + Verb + Complement/了

Usage

• Passive sentences in HSK 4 use three main markers: 被 (neutral/formal), 让 (colloquial), and 叫 (colloquial).
• Full structure: Receiver (Subject) + 被/让/叫 + Agent + Verb + Complement/了.
• Key rules: (1) With 被, the agent (doer) can be omitted if unknown or unimportant (e.g., 我的自行车被偷了 — "My bike was stolen"); (2) With 让 or 叫, the agent MUST be stated and cannot be omitted (e.g., 我的书让弟弟拿走了)

Examples

1. 1

   我的自行车被偷了。

   Wǒ de zìxíngchē bèi tōu le.

   My bicycle was stolen.

2. 2

   他被老师批评了一顿。

   Tā bèi lǎoshī pīpíng le yī dùn.

   He was criticized by the teacher.

3. 3

   我的书让弟弟拿走了。

   Wǒ de shū ràng dìdi ná zǒu le.

   My book was taken away by my younger brother.

4. 4

   蛋糕叫小狗吃了。