被

bèi

particle HSK 3 #65

Meanings

Contains 衤 (clothing radical) — originally meant 'quilt/blanket'.

Tā bèi lǎoshī pīpíng le.

He was criticized by the teacher.

Dàngāo bèi chī le.

The cake was eaten.

Wǒ de shǒujī bèi tōu le.

My phone was stolen.

grammar

被 is the main passive marker in Chinese. Structure: Subject + 被 + (Agent) + Verb. 被 is often used for unpleasant or undesirable events.

usage

In internet slang, 被 creates humorous passives: 被加班 (forced to work overtime), 被自愿 (was 'volunteered'). This highlights the involuntary nature.

被 bèi