Chinese Grammar: Uses of 被 Bei Explained | Learn Chinese Now

In this grammar guide we look at the use of 被 bèi
italki deal
promos.italki.com/learn-chines...
Subscribe to Learn Chinese Now!
/ learnchinesenow
Ben on Twitter:
/ benhedgesntd
T-Shirts and other products:
www.zazzle.com/laowaiapparel

[@MrC0MPUT3R]

These videos are super helpful. 謝謝你!

[@prieto21]

Took Mandarin in University for 2 years and your videos are a great help to refresh!

[@Driftking859]

Thank you for taking the time to explain this and go in depth, I find a lot of native chinese teachers explanations difficult to understand and it's hard for me to "just use" a new grammar or word as they instruct if I dont know what and why it's used for because then I wont know when i should be using it but this video really helped me!

[@leegrimshaw1484]

super helpful ! could you please do one on the character 就 ? it has so many uses !

[@g00glian0]

I'm so glad you slipped the 'quilt' thing in there. I always wondered about that. Now I know it only means quilt when combined with the noun suffix 子。

[@edgardomingo9115]

I love your videos, they are so helpful. Could you do one about 把? :)

[@kevinthehouse2445]

these kind of videos are perfect! :D

[@consequenceable]

much helpful!! thank you!

[@gattaca008]

非常好！谢谢您。

[@legaleagle46]

Just an observation from me. In the passive voice, the person performing the action is referred to as the agent. The agent is NEVER the subject of a passive sentence. The subject of a passive sentence is the person who received the action. So in "he was arrested by the police," "he" is the subject of the sentence, and "the police" is the agent. As you correctly noted, the agent can be omitted when the identity of the agent is unknown or immaterial (we can simply say "he was arrested," in other words). The subject, however, can never be omitted, so we can NOT simply say "was arrested by the police."

[@benedictaenyonamadzato5792]

keep it up. Can you please make a video on how to introduce yourself using many words than usual.

[@rodrigowk649]

Great videos! Please can you make one of "How can I buy train tickets in China" I really apreciatte that information!

[@visithtplacewahid7869]

your video is very helpful

Pls share intro music

[@MohamedWael-do3vg]

Thank you 😊

[@brianlewis6774]

Hey Ben, I'd love to see a video on the differences between 但是，不过 and 可是

[@user-ke9io4cx8n]

Basically the same

[@historiqueafricaine]

thank you

[@hilmikhatib6601]

谢谢你🙂🙂

[@hilmikhatib6601]

很好

[@Anna-yv4gx]

Hi! Thank's for the explanation, great video! I'm writing a course work about using 被 , maybe you could recommend any scientific literature about it? Would be thankful for any help!

[@junhyunglee864]

I think you can teach 被 by putting 被 and a verb past participle together. Like be cheated = 被骗，be arrested = 被抓。 And if you want to speak out the person, just put somebody after 被.

[@BlockandCube]

Please, please explain how to use 着 with verbs, it's the one grammatical aspect I never quite understood

[@hamzatatheer]

You were little fast in this video but still i learnt something :)

[@sengnawawnghkyeng9179]

老师 很帅 。。。 也很可爱 。。。 我最喜欢老师。。。

[@managerjuntao9062]

how to use the phrase yue lai yue in chinese

[@hauwi7]

Could you make a video about how to form sentences in past, present, future. The 了-video was already helpful, but I'm not sure about the rest. Thanks

[@ximenggao9200]

hello,I'm Chinese,and I'm a English learner.I think we can help each other and learn from each other.My email address:[e-mail].

[@lestc8579]

I really don't understand the example at the end with the cup of water .. I don't think I'm hearing the difference between bèi and bēi so very confused ..

[@bingo__bongo]

Great video, can't wait for that 把 video. Also, if speaking in present tense, do you still use 没 or do you use 不?

[@user-ft3vc6gc2j]

use 不

[@bingo__bongo]

鬼蟹 thanks

[@fufnulius1]

both you use 没 with 有 for the other cases you use 不

[@matthewbitter532]

Caradoc you use 没 when you’re talking about the past. It’s the opposite of 了。

[@charleschaffanjon8864]

your meiyou de mei is strange : on the upper right, it should be ji.

[@raziahussain9119]

Can u explain ba?

[@bushibutt9692]

Wo yongle Zhe ge shouji.. I used this mobile.. This mobile has been used by me.. Zhe ge shouji bei yong le.. Wo can be omitted

[@owenwilson4145]

Could you possibly explain the use of 就? My textbook says its something to indicate a conclusion or resolution but they way they use it in the examples confuses me.

[@ximenggao9200]

就 is a very hard character,it has too much meaning and it can be used as four different parts of speech(I am not sure whether the phrase is right).It can be used as a verb,a preposition,a conjunction and a adverb.we can talk about it via email or social media.my email address:[e-mail]

[@JayFolipurba]

Fourth like! Aren't there also many different 'ba'?

[@GodsWheat]

Wait arrest and grab is the same word

[@TheViolaBuddy]

A few questions: 1. At 3:23 Why did the 了 go away when you negated the sentence 我被骗了 -> 我没被骗(了？)? 2. What about the word 将? Is that a more formal way of making a passive construction? Or is there some other distinction between 将、被、把? Otherwise, I really love this series on grammatical words! It's super useful, since I never learned too much Chinese grammar formally.

[@user-ft3vc6gc2j]

1. Because 了 is only used that things happened. "沒" means that didn't happen so you don't use 了. 2. 將 and 把 are used for active tense. They are same meaning. 我殺了他=我把他殺了=I killed him.

[@TheViolaBuddy]

Thanks!

[@user-ft3vc6gc2j]

Viola Buddy Oh, there is a situation you can use 了 in negative sentences came to mind. Use 了 to express that situation changed. for ex. Ask: are you going to see a movie?(people have no idea if you're going.) Answer:no, i'm not.(不,我不去) but ask: are you "still" going to see a movie?(people think you will probably go or actually you were going) you still answer no, i'm not in English, but 不,我不去"了" in Chinese to express the situation changed.

[@TheViolaBuddy]

Interesting - I assume the reasoning for that is similar to the 了 usage from that Ben explained in the last video in "我中文学了四年了" (I have studied Chinese for four years, and I still am). So that would negate to "我不学中文了" (I am not still studying Chinese)， whereas "我中文学了四年" (I studied Chinese for four years at some point in the past) which would negate to "我中文没学四年" (I did not study Chinese for four years at any point in the past), right?

[@user-ft3vc6gc2j]

yep. so you can translate 了 here as "anymore". 不....了 (not/don't.....anymore) 沒....了(wasn't/didn't....anymore).

[@hauwi7]

In the last video you said, 了 comes at the end if there is no number included. But the first sentence is 警察抓了他, so it's not at the end? Why?

[@user-ft3vc6gc2j]

警察抓他了 just simply announces that things happened. 警察抓了他 makes people know what happened. for ex. did the police arrest him? yep, the police arrested him.警察抓他了(the point is it happened.) but, what's going on?/what happened?/whom is arrested by police? oh, the police arrested him.警察抓了他(the point is what happened or whom is arrested.)

[@hawkeconnor7077]

hI, I am a chinese, but I want to lean english, I have spend 27 thousands to leanr it, but not really good. For my part, we shold talk more with each other, I want to find some one who can talk with me in english, and I can also talk with him or her in chinese. we can both make prgress. Do you have any idear?

[@veganariel541]

do you use 被 as opposed to 把 when the object is not important? For example, 我把水喝完了 if drinking the water is important. 我被骗了 if the person that cheated me was not important but the fact I was cheated on is important.

[@learnchinesenow]

Two different meanings. 把 means to take something and do something with it like your example “I took the water and drank it” where as 被 kind if means “was” as in “I was cheated”.

[@ecampos827]

if you guys really like to learn Chinese i suggest you to check out at this KZbin channel Xue Bai, she is an excellent teacher

[@hawkeconnor7077]

hI, I am a chinese, but I want to lean english, I have spend 27 thousands to leanr it, but not really good. For my part, we shold talk more with each other, I want to find some one who can talk with me in english, and I can also talk with him or her in chinese. we can both make prgress. Do you have any idear?

[@aldrinpaulcarreon9983]

Hawke Connor do u still need anyone to talk to in english?

[@Eyeswide39Open]

always find your videos so interesting and helpful! xie xie!

[@sylvainpanneau6460]

Too bad I can't subscribe/like twice ^^

[@kingcoffee1848]

Love the cushions and Hello Kitty ^_^ . Makes me feel in Taiwan. I guess your wife has something to do with them ;-)

[@LaPunaisedu31]

anyway you'd use some bopomofo instead of that horse**** pinyin ? good vids nonetheless, keep em coming pal

[@choconhoctiengtrung8762]

"你的柔情似水被紧紧包围": I can't understand the meaning of this sentence. In this sentence, [水 is surrounded ] or [你的柔情 is surrounded]? If [水 is surrounded ], then [水 is surrounded] by what? If [你的柔情 is surrounded], then [你的柔情 is surrounded] by what? I think about it for some days and can't understand. You guy, help me please! Thanks a lot!

[@sifxu1701]

yu guan perhaps it’s “你的柔情似水，(我)被紧紧包围” Most Chinese songs have poetic lyrics which are not grammatically correct at all. So don’t worry about that, just enjoy the sound of them. Haha. (I’m a native speaker so I think I’m entitled to make that “negative” comment XD).

[@choconhoctiengtrung8762]

@@sifxu1701 Thank you very much! I learned many things from your videos. Your channel is one of best channels about Chinese language.

[@timkeen1727]

老师好。你的课很易懂。比如，我被拍照我的朋友了。我被看书老师了。可以说吗?

[@user-es4io4vn5g]

你好。我被朋友拍了照。或者，我朋友给我拍照了。 因为老师的要求，我被迫看书。

[@tonyhu662]

找我做朋友，我们互相学习。我想学英语。I find English-speaking partener here.I am learning English. Reply to me Please!

[@sniyut1037]

: )

[@raytwin11]

手机被我的老师拿走了。 手机被拿走了。 Did I use 被 right?

[@tonyc5384]

Technically you used it right. But which will convey your message is another question. First indicate your teacher took your phone. You tell us who done what to you. Second indicate your phone was taken away / someone took you phone.

[@learnchinesenow]

Yes.

[@johnzhong3833]

yes

[@user-es4io4vn5g]

很棒

[@Chiny_w_Pigulce]

You forgot to say that 被 can be substituted by 让 叫 or 给 :)

[@Chiny_w_Pigulce]

From what I learned, only 给 is different, but can sometimes substitute it. However, 让 and 叫 are used in oral language opposed to 被, used in written language.

[@user-ft3vc6gc2j]

I just checked the dictionary 給 讓 叫 really can be used as 被. But people rarely use them that way. Instead, 讓(let)&叫(ask) are basically used as causative verbs. 給 usually means "to give". for ex. 給(give)我(me)一本(a)書(book). 介紹(introduce)他(him)給(to)我(me).

[@timothyy7]

you look exactly like "the credit shifu"

[@kwokwailok8524]

中文現在用被用過火了，遭、受 、為(何人)所等等都少用了...

[@cyblueberry6144]

因为“被”更口语化吧。所以用的多

[@bushibutt9692]

这杯水被喝了。。 wo can be omitted

[@user-es4io4vn5g]

语法上是对的。一般这么说的时候，会说:这杯水被 他 喝了。

[@syedmdabid7191]

崴吃吧米飯,ㄇㄧˇㄈㄢˋㄅㄟˊㄨㄛˇㄔㄧˇ

[@liliangwen4329]

do you understand the meaning of “你这是什么意思，没得意思，就是意思意思”

[@fobuloustv]

Haha what a cool sentence playing around the meanings of 意思！很有意思的句子！

[@user-ke9io4cx8n]

what do you want ， nothing(沒別的意思) ，just ...(I can not translate)

[@fobuloustv]

My take would be: What do you mean? Nothing (or so meaningless), just doing for the sake of doing it. Or just play Justin Bieber's What Do You Mean, the entire song is pretty 没意思 anyway LOL

[@muravei1818]

Super helpful !!! Thanks!