PrepositionsHSK 5
Expressing passive voice with 给
给 can replace 被 to form passive sentences, with the receiver placed before 给 and the doer after it. Remember that the verb phrase usually requires a complement like 了 or a result, and this pattern is more common in spoken Chinese.
The doer can be omitted, leaving 给 directly before the verb, similar to the 被 construction. This is typical when the agent is unknown or not important.
Structure
Receiver + 给 + Doer + Verb Phrase
the verb often needs a complement such as 了 or a result
Receiver + 给 + Verb Phrase
the doer is omitted, similar to the 被 structure
Examples
- 我给他骗了。Wǒ gěi tā piàn le.I got scammed by him.
- 这么好的机会给你浪费了。Zhè me hǎo de jī huì gěi nǐ làng fèi le.Such a great opportunity has been wasted by you.
- 菜都给你们吃完了吗？Cài dōu gěi nǐ men chī wán le ma?All the food has been finished off by you guys?
- 孩子都给你宠坏了。Hái zi dōu gěi nǐ chǒng huài le.That kid is totally spoiled by you.
- 这里的水都给污染了。Zhè lǐ de shuǐ dōu gěi wū rǎn le.The water here is all polluted.
Words that use this
- 给gěito; for; for the benefit of; to give; to allow; to do sth (for sb); (grammatical equivalent of 被); (grammatical equivalent of 把); (sentence intensifier)
- 被bèiquilt; to cover (with); (literary) to suffer (a misfortune); used to indicate passive voice (placed before the doer of the action like "by" in English passive-voice sentences, or, if the doer is not mentioned, before the verb); (since c. 2009) (sarcastic or jocular) used to indicate that the following word should be regarded as being in air quotes (as in 被旅游 to "go on a trip", for example)