HSK 4
受事主语
shòu shì zhǔ yǔ
Patient subject (受事主语)
Explanation
This is a sentence with a "patient subject" (受事主语 shòu shì zhǔ yǔ): the subject (the person or thing performing, at the head of the sentence) — but in this sentence type it is actually the object affected by the action (the semantic object: the thing acted upon by the action, e.g. "book" in "read a book"), rather than the doer of the action. The affected thing is moved to the front of the sentence to serve as the topic.
affected-object + (the doer) + verb + complement/了, e.g. 饭都吃光了 (fàn dōu chī guāng le = the rice has all been eaten up — 饭 "rice" is the thing being eaten), 作业我做完了 (zuò yè wǒ zuò wán le = as for the homework, I have finished it).
when you want to emphasize the thing/matter being talked about (bringing it to the front as the topic) and speak about its result or state after being acted upon. Very natural in colloquial speech.
different from the passive 被-construction (bèi) — the passive sentence has the marker 被 (by). This sentence does NOT use 被 yet is still understood as passive in meaning, because the context itself is clear (rice must be eaten, it cannot eat itself).
Vietnamese learners often add 被 (*饭被吃光了 sounds awkward when there is no bad agent). For an ordinary inanimate thing being acted upon, you just bring it to the front of the sentence, with NO need for 被. The verb should have a complement or 了 to make the result clear (吃光了, 做完了).
Examples
The rice has all been eaten up.
As for the homework, I have finished it.
This book, I have already read it three times.
Practice
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Learn “受事主语” effectively
The grammar point “受事主语” (Patient subject (受事主语)) is one of the key structures at HSK 4. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
Study tip: read the examples aloud many times to build a natural reflex. Then try making your own sentences for your own situations. Use the audio button to hear and practice accurate pronunciation.
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