HSK 5
被动句3：意念被动句
bèi dòng jù 3 ： yì niàn bèi dòng jù
Notional Passive Sentence (without 被)
Explanation
This is a notional passive sentence (意念被动句 yìniàn bèidòngjù - a sentence with a passive meaning but WITHOUT the character 被 bèi). The subject (at the head of the sentence) is a thing and is at the same time the target affected by the action; the verb comes right after, but the listener understands on their own that the thing was acted upon.
Subject (a thing, acted upon) + verb + result complement (a component after the verb indicating the result) + 了 (le).
蛋糕 (cake) + 吃光 (eaten up) + 了 → 蛋糕吃光了 (the cake has been eaten up).
In everyday colloquial speech, when the doer of the action is unimportant or already clear, and one only needs to talk about the result that befell the thing. The subject is usually a definite thing, and the sentence almost always has a result complement (光 completely gone, 破 torn, 完 finished) together with 了.
Different from the 被 sentence (which uses 被 to express the passive, usually stressing the person/thing causing the effect: 蛋糕被他吃光了 - the cake was eaten up by him). The notional passive doesn't mention the agent of the action and sounds more natural when who did it is unimportant.
Vietnamese learners often try to add 被 to make it "look passive", producing 蛋糕被吃光了 (acceptable but redundant) or translate mechanically. For a thing + an action with a clear result, just 蛋糕吃光了 is enough and most natural; and don't forget the result complement + 了.
Examples
The cake has been eaten up.
The clothes have been worn out.
The bus tickets have been sold out.
Practice
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Learn “被动句3：意念被动句” effectively
The grammar point “被动句3：意念被动句” (Notional Passive Sentence (without 被)) is one of the key structures at HSK 5. 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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