Although you might think that the passive voice 被 transcribed bèi structure and the 把 transcribed bǎ structure are similar, there are some important differences between the two. Take a look at both structures below:
subject + 被 transcribed bèi + the agent + verb + aspect marker/complement
⇩
subject + 把 transcribed bǎ + Object + verb + aspect marker/complement
The 被 transcribed bèi structure uses the passive voice, and it emphasizes the action or the result of the action that is carried out by the agent.
自行车被我哥哥卖了。Transcription: Zìxíngchē bèi wǒ gēge mài le.Translation: The bike was sold by my older brother.The 把 transcribed bǎ structure, which is a variation of the “subject + verb + object” structure, is in the active voice and the verb in the sentence plays an important role. What's more, the 把 transcribed bǎ structure focuses on the changes to the direct object (可乐 in the following sentence).
我把可乐喝完了。Transcription: Wǒ bǎ kělè hē wán le.Translation: I finished my coke.
Let’s explore more!
How to turn a 被 (bèi) sentence into a 把 (bǎ) sentence in Mandarin Chinese?
Most of the time, a 把 transcribed bǎ sentence can be changed into a 被 transcribed bèi sentence. All we need to do is take the direct object in the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence and use it as the subject in the 被 transcribed bèi sentence and then take the subject in the 把 transcribed bǎ sentence and use it as the agent in the 被 transcribed bèi sentence.
Let's try to turn the following 把 transcribed bǎ sentences into 被 transcribed bèi sentences:
Example 1:
我把房间收拾干净了。Transcription: Wǒ bǎ fángjiān shōushi gānjìng le.Translation: I cleaned up the room.⇩
房间被我收拾干净了。Transcription: Fángjiān bèi wǒ shōushi gānjìng le.Translation: The room was cleaned up by me.Example 2:
他们没把电脑修好。Transcription: Tāmen méi bǎ diànnǎo xiū hǎo.Translation: They did not fix the computer.⇩
电脑没被他们修好。Transcription: Diànnǎo méi bèi tāmen xiū hǎo.Translation: The computer was not fixed by them.
How about we try to turn a 被 transcribed bèi sentence to a 把 transcribed bǎ sentence?
Example 1:
桌子被他们搬进来了。Transcription: Zhuōzi bèi tāmen bān jìnlái le.Translation: The table was moved in by them.⇩
他们把桌子搬进来了。Transcription: Tāmen bǎ zhuōzi bān jìnlái le.Translation: They moved in the table.Example 2:
信被你寄走了吗？Transcription: Xìn bèi nǐ jì zǒu le ma?Translation: Has the letter been sent away by you?⇩
你把信寄走了吗？Transcription: Nǐ bǎ xìn jì zǒu le ma?Translation: Have you sent away the letter?
What kinds of 把 (bǎ) sentences cannot be turned into 被 (bèi) sentences in Mandarin Chinese?
In the following situations, a 把 transcribed bǎ sentence cannot be turned into a 被 transcribed bèi structure, and vice versa:
When an imperative sentence is used with a 把 transcribed bǎ sentence, it cannot be turned into a 被 transcribed bèi sentence. For example:
O 请你把我的外衣拿来。Transcription: Qǐng nǐ bǎ wǒde wàiyī nálái.Translation: Please bring my coat over here.X 我的外衣请被你拿来。Translation: Wǒde wàiyī qǐng bèi nǐ nálái.You cannot form the passive voice when the (resulting) subject of the passive structure won’t be an agent and the verb is a mental verb, like 想 transcribed xiǎngmeaning want to , 愿意 transcribed yuànyìmeaning be willing to, and so on.
O我不想把我的鞋扔了。Transcription: Wǒ bùxiǎng bǎ wǒde xié rēng le.Translation: I don’t want to throw away my shoes.The object here 我的鞋 transcribed wǒde xiémeaning my shoes will become the subject of the passive structure and, since shoes cannot "want," a passive voice cannot be constructed, so this 把 transcribed bǎ sentence cannot be turned into a 被 transcribed bèi sentence.
X我的鞋不想被我扔了。Transcription: Wǒde xié bùxiǎng bèi wǒ rēng le.Translation: My shoes don’t want to be thrown away by me.Check this one out too:
你愿意现在把晚饭吃了吗？Transcription: Nǐ yuànyì xiànzài bǎ wǎnfàn chī le ma?Translation: Are you willing to have dinner now?X晚饭愿意现在被你吃吗？Transcription: Wǎnfàn yuànyì xiànzài bèi nǐ chī ma?Translation: Is dinner willing to be eaten by you now?But with modal verbs, like 能 transcribed néngmeaning can, 可以 transcribed kěyǐmeaning be allowed to, and 该 transcribed gāimeaning should, a 把 transcribed bǎ sentence can be turned into a 被 transcribed bèi structure and vice versa, because these verbs function like a helping verb. Look at this sentence:
O老板该把他开除掉。Transcription: Lǎobǎn gāi bǎ tā kāichú diào.Translation: The boss should fire him.⇩
O他该被老板开除掉。Transcription: Tā gāi bèi lǎobǎn kāichú diào.Translation: He should be fired by the boss.
So, if there are modal verbs a 把 transcribed bǎ sentence can be transferred to a 被 transcribed bèi structure and vice versa. If there are mental verbs 想 transcribed xiǎngmeaning want to, 愿意 transcribed yuànyìmeaning be willing to, and so on, a 把 transcribed bǎ sentence cannot be transferred to a 被 transcribed bèi structure and vice versa.
As a final point, the 被 transcribed bèi structure tends to be used more in adverse events or situations, whereas the 把 transcribed bǎ structure does not. Please note that this does not mean that the 被 transcribed bèi structure is only used in bad situations.
To sum up
In Mandarin Chinese, the 被 transcribed bèi structure and the 把 transcribed bǎ structure have a similar sentence pattern, but they are used for different purposes: a passive voice 被 transcribed bèi sentence emphasizes the action that an agent carries out, while the active voice 把 transcribed bǎ structure focuses on the changes on the direct object.
A 把 transcribed bǎ structure can be turned into a 被 transcribed bèi structure and vice versa most of the time.
Watch out for a couple of exceptions when these two sentence patterns are not interchangeable:
Imperative sentences in a 把 transcribed bǎ structure cannot be turned into a 被 transcribed bèi structure.
Sentences with mental verbs, like 想 transcribed xiǎngmeaning want to , 愿意 transcribed yuànyìmeaning be willing to, and so on and non-agent objects cannot be turned into a 被 transcribed bèi structure
That's all! Check out these exercises to practice the differences between the 把 transcribed bǎ and 被 transcribed bèi structures and to see how much you have learned!
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