# HSK 3 Grammar: 被 + Agent Passive Sentences | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-3-passive-sentences-1-g070 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-3-g070 HSK levels: 3 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:56:01.720Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how the HSK 3 被 passive works when the person or thing doing the action is stated. Grammar [HSK 3 · Sentence types › Special sentence patterns › Passive sentences 1](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-3#hsk-3-g070) # The 被 Passive: Naming Who Does Something to the Subject This lesson explains the pattern subject + 被 + agent + verb + other elements, including its focus, word order, questions, and contrast with an active sentence. affected subject 被 agent verb other sentence material Example sentence 我的自行车被弟弟骑走了。 Wǒ de zìxíngchē bèi dìdi qí zǒu le. My bicycle was ridden away by my younger brother. 弟弟 names the agent; the bicycle is the affected subject. **Read the full explanation and examples** ## Meaning and focus The pattern in this lesson is subject + 被 + agent + verb + other elements. It presents the subject as the person or thing affected by an action, then identifies who or what performs that action. The sentence often reports an event or result that matters to the subject. The outline specifies this pattern as one HSK 3 special sentence type; that level label describes syllabus scope, not which exam version a centre currently administers. 我的自行车被弟弟骑走了。 Wǒ de zìxíngchē bèi dìdi qí zǒu le. My bicycle was ridden away by my younger brother. 弟弟 names the agent; the bicycle is the affected subject. In the example, the bicycle is the grammatical subject and 弟弟 is the agent: the younger brother rode it away. The sentence starts with the bicycle because it is what the speaker is reporting about. The passive form does not itself say that the action was unwanted; context determines whether an event is unfortunate, neutral, or welcome. ## Build the sentence Use this order: affected subject + 被 + agent + verb + any needed complements or other sentence material. The noun phrase before 被 is the subject affected by the action. The noun phrase after 被 names the agent, the person or thing doing it. The verb describes the action. Add other elements when they complete the meaning, such as a place or a result. Keep the order clear: 被 stands between the subject and the stated agent. affected subject 被 agent verb other sentence material 那封信被老师放在桌子上了。 Nà fēng xìn bèi lǎoshī fàng zài zhuōzi shàng le. The letter was placed on the table by the teacher. 在桌子上 states where the letter was placed. In the letter example, 放 is followed by 在桌子上, specifying where the letter was placed. 了 presents the placement as a completed event in this context. Such added material belongs after the verb; it does not change the basic subject + 被 + agent order. ## When this pattern is useful Choose this passive when you want to make the affected person or thing the starting point, while also saying who or what carried out the action. It is useful when the agent is known, relevant, or helpful to identify. In the photograph example, the sentence reports that many people have seen the photograph; the photograph remains the topic, and the viewers are stated after 被. 这张照片被很多人看过。 Zhè zhāng zhàopiàn bèi hěn duō rén kàn guo. This photograph has been seen by many people. The photograph is the subject; many people are the agents. 被 marks the passive relationship, but it does not automatically mean that something bad happened. Interpret the speaker’s attitude from the event and surrounding context. ## Compare the passive and active viewpoints An active sentence commonly starts with the agent: 朋友拿错了我的手机。 The 被 passive can instead start with the affected phone and state the agent afterward: “My phone was taken by mistake by a friend.” These forms describe the same basic event from different starting points. The passive gives the phone prominence; it is not simply a more formal version of the active sentence. 我的手机被朋友拿错了。 Wǒ de shǒujī bèi péngyou ná cuò le. My phone was taken by mistake by a friend. This passive version foregrounds the phone. An active version would start with 朋友. The contrast with an active sentence helps clarify viewpoint. This lesson covers the outline’s pattern with an agent after 被. It does not expand the scope to a separate pattern that omits the agent. ## Questions and practical checks To ask who performed the action, put 谁 in the agent position after 被. The question keeps the affected subject first and the verb after the question word. In the example, the speaker asks who took the bag away. The question is grammatical without changing the core order. 我的包被谁拿走了？ Wǒ de bāo bèi shéi ná zǒu le? Who took my bag away? 谁 occupies the agent position after 被. - Identify the affected person or thing: it goes before 被. - Name the agent after 被; use 谁 there when asking who did it. - Place the action verb after the agent, followed by any necessary result, direction, place, or other material. - Ask whether the passive viewpoint is useful: it should foreground the affected subject, rather than merely rearrange words. ## Frequently asked questions **Does 被 always describe something bad?** No. It marks a passive relationship. Whether the event is unwelcome, neutral, or welcome depends on context. **How do I ask who did the action?** Put 谁 after 被, in the agent position, as in the question about who took the bag. **Where does the person doing the action go?** In this pattern, the agent follows 被 and comes before the verb. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 394](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=394) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. [![Download on the App Store](https://hskready.app/download-on-app-store-black.svg)Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6791916440?l=en)[![Get it on Google Play](https://hskready.app/get-it-on-google-play.svg)Get it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.curiolab.hskready&hl=en) [HSKReady App](https://hskready.app/en/app)