Definition
被动 (bèidòng) has two main uses: ① describing a person who is unassertive and reactive rather than proactive; ② the grammatical passive voice. Its near-synonym 消极 (xiāojí, negative) focuses on a pessimistic, unhelpful attitude or effect — 被动 primarily signals a lack of initiative, not necessarily a negative mood.
adjective
passivenot proactiveunassertive(adjective, grammar) passive (voice)
Easily confused
- 波动bō dònglook-aliketo fluctuate (prices, emotions, data)
Examples
- 被动，。Tā duì gōngzuò hěn bèi dòng, cóng bù zhǔdòng.He is very passive about work, never proactive.
- 被动。Zhège dòngcí zài bèi dòng yǔtài zhōng yào biànhuà xíngshì.This verb changes its form in the passive voice.
- ，被动。Bǐsài yì kāishǐ, wǒmen jiù chǔyú bèi dòng júmiàn.Once the game started, we were in a passive position.
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