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被动

被動
bèidòng
adjective HSK 6 #12,557

Meanings

  1. 1 passive
  2. 2 being in a disadvantageous position

Characters

被
bèi
by (passive marker); to be subjected to
动
dòng
to move; to act
Being moved (by others) rather than moving yourself - passive.

Examples

HSK 5
他处于被动的地位。
Tā chǔyú bèidòng de dìwèi.
He's in a passive/disadvantageous position.
HSK 5
被动吸烟对健康有害。
Bèidòng xīyān duì jiànkāng yǒuhài.
Passive smoking (secondhand smoke) is harmful to health.
HSK 6
不要被动等待，要主动出击。
Búyào bèidòng děngdài, yào zhǔdòng chūjī.
Don't wait passively - take the initiative.

Tips

grammar
被动 vs 主动 (zhǔdòng, active/proactive) is one of the most important pairs in Chinese. 被动语态 (bèidòng yǔtài) = passive voice in grammar. In everyday usage, 被动 often implies 'at a disadvantage.'

Stroke Order

被 bèi
动 dòng