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被 (bèi) — (preposition) used to mark passive voice, placed before the doer (or directly before the verb if the doer is omitted)

Definition

被 (bèi) marks the passive voice: place it before the doer (or directly before the verb if the doer is omitted). It is a grammatical particle, not a verb like 受 ('to receive/suffer').

preposition
used to mark passive voiceplaced before the doer (or directly before the verb if the doer is omitted)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 被。
    Tā bèi lǎo shī jiào qù le.
    He was called away by the teacher.
  • 被。
    Wǒ de shǒu jī bèi dì di shuāi huài le.
    My phone was broken by my little brother.
  • 被。
    Zhè běn shū bèi ná zǒu le.
    This book was taken away.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yīclothing
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí被bèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

被 pairs 衣 (clothing) with 皮, which gives the sound.

Grammar

Appears in
100 Most Frequent Chinese WordsHSK 3.0 Level 3500 Most Frequent Chinese WordsHSK 2.0 Level 31000 Most Frequent Chinese Words2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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