Passive & Causative
被 vs 让/叫
three ways to say passive — formal vs spoken
Comparison / 对比
| 被 bèi | 让/叫 ràng/jiào | |
|---|---|---|
| Register | Standard / written | 让: spoken; 叫: colloquial |
| Passive | 被老师批评了 | 让/叫老师批评了 (same) |
| Causative | Cannot mean let/make | 让他去 = let him go |
| Omit agent | 钱被偷了 (OK) | Less natural without agent |
Examples / 例句
被: 他被公司解雇了。
He was fired by the company.
让/叫: 我的手机让弟弟摔坏了。/ 妈妈叫我去买菜。
My phone was broken by brother. / Mom told me to buy groceries.
Quick rule: 被 is ONLY passive. 让/叫 are BOTH passive AND causative. If 让 has no negative outcome, it is probably causative (let), not passive.
Fill in the Blank / 填空练习
Type the correct word to complete each sentence. Press Enter or click Check.
这首歌我想起了小时候的事。
他的钱包小偷偷走了。
妈妈我去超市买点东西。
Quick Quiz / 小测验
这个消息很多人感到惊讶。
Causative: news MADE people surprised → 让.
我的自行车人偷走了。
Formal passive → 被.
老师他重新写一遍作业。
Causative: teacher TOLD him → 叫.