被动

被動

bèidòng

adjective HSK 5 #12,557

Meanings

1 passive
2 being in a disadvantageous position

Characters

by (passive marker); to be subjected to

to move; to act

Being moved (by others) rather than moving yourself — passive.

Examples

我们不能总是被动。

Wǒmen bù néng zǒngshì bèidòng.

We can't always be passive.

他处于被动的地位。

Tā chǔyú bèidòng de dìwèi.

He's in a passive/disadvantageous position.

被动吸烟对健康有害。

Bèidòng xīyān duì jiànkāng yǒuhài.

Passive smoking (secondhand smoke) is harmful to health.

不要被动等待，要主动出击。

Bùyào 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