Hello! I’m Tora, and welcome to today’s HSK 3 grammar clinic.
As you progress toward the Intermediate level (HSK 3), you’ll need to move beyond simple “Subject-Verb-Object” sentences. To sound more natural and accurately describe life’s little accidents, you must master the “Bèi” sentence. This is the most common way to express the passive voice in Chinese.
Let’s jump straight into a challenge to see how it works!
📝 Today’s HSK 3 Challenge
請選出最適合填入空格的答案 (Please choose the best answer to fill in the blank):
我的蛋糕（My cake）______ 弟弟（younger brother）吃掉了。
A) 把
B) 被
C) 讓
D) 給
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(Think about the relationship between the cake and the action of eating…)
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✅ Correct Answer: B) 被
The full sentence is: 我的蛋糕被弟弟吃掉了。
Pronunciation:
- Mandarin: Wǒ de dàngāo bèi dìdi chī diào le.
- Cantonese: ngo5 dik1 daan6 gou1 bei6 dai6 dai2 hek3 diu6 liu5.
English: My cake was eaten by my younger brother.
💡 Tora’s Grammar Breakdown: The “Bèi” (被) Structure
In Chinese, the 被 (Mandarin: bèi / Cantonese: bei6) construction is used to indicate that the subject of the sentence has been affected by an action. It is the equivalent of the English “was/were + past participle.”
1. The HSK 3 Formula
受事者 (Receiver) + 被 + 施事者 (Doer) + 動詞 (Verb) + 其他 (Result)
- Receiver (The Cake): The thing being affected.
- 被: The marker that signals “this happened to the subject.”
- Doer (The Brother): The person who performed the action.
- Verb + Result (Eaten up): What happened to the object.
2. Real-Life Example from HSK 3:
包裹被快遞拿走了。
(The package was taken by the courier.)
Pronunciation:
- Mandarin: Bāoguǒ bèi kuàidì ná zǒu le.
- Cantonese: baau1 gwo2 bei6 faai3 dai6 naa4 zau2 liu5.
3. Why are the other options wrong?
- A) 把 (bǎ / baa2): This is the “disposal” marker. It requires the Doer to come first (e.g., 弟弟把蛋糕吃掉了).
- C) 讓 (ràng / joeng6): While “讓” can sometimes be used as a passive marker in very casual spoken Mandarin, 被 is the standard and most precise choice for HSK exams.
- D) 給 (gěi / kap1): Usually means “to give.” It can sometimes be used with “被” to emphasize the passive, but it cannot replace it on its own in this context.
📖 Tora’s Tip for HSK 3
Most “被” sentences in HSK 3 involve something being lost, broken, or consumed. If you see a result like “走了” (gone) or “壞了” (broken), your “passive voice” alarm should go off!
🎯 Bonus Challenge: Check Your Understanding!
Question: 哪一個句子是正確的？ (Which sentence is correct?)
“The mobile phone was broken by me.”
- 我被手機弄壞了。
- 手機把我也弄壞了。
- 手機被我弄壞了。
- 我把手機被弄壞了。
(Scroll down for the answer!)
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Answer: 3!
- Mandarin: Shǒujī bèi wǒ nòng huài le.
- Cantonese: sau2 gei1 bei6 ngo5 lung6 waai6 liu5.
Happy studying! Keep practicing these structures to make your Chinese sound more sophisticated and natural.