把 and 被 sentences in Chinese: patterns, rules and what to avoid
把 and 被 are the two sentence patterns that move the object in front of the verb. 把 is told from the doer, 他把杯子打破了 (Tā bǎ bēizi dǎpò le, he broke the cup). 被 is told from the receiver, 杯子被他打破了 (the cup was broken by him). Both come with strict rules about the verb.
| Form | Pattern | Rule | HSK | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 把 basic | Subject + 把 + object + verb + something more | The object is known and gets handled. The verb cannot stand bare: it needs a result, a direction, a place or 了. | 3 | 我把书放在桌子上。 Wǒ bǎ shū fàng zài zhuōzi shang. I put the book on the table. |
| 把 with a result | Subject + 把 + object + verb + result + 了 | The most common use: the object ends up changed. | 3 | 她把作业写完了。 Tā bǎ zuòyè xiě wán le. She finished writing the homework. |
| 把 with a request | 请 + 把 + object + verb + 给 + person | Handing or moving something, very common in commands. | 3 | 请把这个给他。 Qǐng bǎ zhège gěi tā. Please give this to him. |
| 把 negated | Subject + 没 + 把 + object + verb + ... | Put 没 or 不 before 把, not before the verb. | 4 | 我没把门关上。 Wǒ méi bǎ mén guān shàng. I did not close the door. |
| Do not use 把 | Verbs of feeling, knowing, being or having | Verbs such as 是, 有, 喜欢, 知道, 看见 cannot take 把, because they do nothing to the object. Use a normal sentence. | 3 | 我喜欢这本书。 Wǒ xǐhuan zhè běn shū. I like this book. |
| 被 with an agent | Receiver + 被 + doer + verb + something more | The subject receives the action and the doer is named. | 3 | 我的手机被他拿走了。 Wǒ de shǒujī bèi tā ná zǒu le. My phone was taken away by him. |
| 被 without an agent | Receiver + 被 + verb + something more | Leave the doer out when it is unknown or unimportant. | 3 | 杯子被打破了。 Bēizi bèi dǎpò le. The cup got broken. |
| 叫 and 让 as 被 | Receiver + 叫 / 让 + doer + verb + ... | Spoken versions of 被. The doer must be named. | 3 | 我的自行车让人骑走了。 Wǒ de zìxíngchē ràng rén qí zǒu le. My bicycle was ridden away by someone. |
| 被 negated | Receiver + 没 + 被 + verb | Put 没 before 被. | 4 | 我的钱包没被偷。 Wǒ de qiánbāo méi bèi tōu. My wallet was not stolen. |
The one rule both share
The verb is never alone. After it comes a result (完, 破, 走), a direction, a place with 在 or 到, or at least 了. That is why the complements matter before you meet either pattern.
Which one to choose
If the doer matters, use 把. If the thing that was affected is the topic, use 被. Many sentences with a known object can also be written as a topic-comment sentence, such as 书我放在桌子上了. The deeper lessons are 把, 被, 叫, 让 and, at HSK 5 and 6, notional passives and advanced uses.
Frequently asked questions
When should I use 把 in Chinese?
Use 把 when a known thing is handled and ends up changed, moved or finished: 我把书放在桌子上. The part after the verb is required, so a bare 我把书看 is incomplete. If nothing happens to the object, use an ordinary sentence.
When can I not use 把?
Not with verbs that do not act on the object, such as 是, 有, 喜欢, 知道, 看见, 觉得. Not when the object is unspecific (a book, any book) in most cases, because 把 prefers things both people know about. And not when the verb is bare, with no result, direction or 了 after it.
Does 被 always mean something bad?
Traditionally 被 marks something unwelcome: 我被骂了 (I got scolded). Modern Chinese also uses it neutrally, especially in writing: 他被选为班长 (he was chosen as class monitor). When in doubt about a pleasant event, a plain active sentence is safer.
Where does 不 or 没 go in a 把 or 被 sentence?
Before 把 or 被, not before the verb: 我没把门关上, 他没被发现. Putting 没 right before the verb, as in 我把门没关上, is not standard.
What is the difference between 把 and 被 sentences?
把 is told from the doer: 他把杯子打破了 (he broke the cup). 被 is told from the receiver: 杯子被他打破了 (the cup was broken by him). Both need something after the verb, and both are first taught around HSK 3.
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