HSK 7
被动句5
bèi dòng jù 5
Formal passive structures
Explanation
These are two 被-construction / passive sentence types with a formal, written tone (usage found in books and formal texts, seldom in speech): "被…所…" and "为…所…". Both express that the subject (the person or thing performing, standing at the head of the sentence) undergoes the effect of an agent; they mean "to be … made to …".
entity affected + 被 (bèi) / 为 (wéi) + agent + 所 (suǒ) + verb (usually a two-syllable verb such as 吸引 xīyǐn "to attract", 信任 xìnrèn "to trust"). Here 所 (suǒ) is a particle (a function word added to express a grammatical sense, with no meaning of its own) that makes the sentence more formal and archaic.
in written texts, argumentative writing, and formal speeches; "为…所…" in particular often appears in texts with a political, social, or legal flavor.
"被…所…" is close to the ordinary 被-construction (the sentence type using 被 to express the passive) but more formal; "为…所…" is even more archaic and formal, and here the character 为 is read "wéi" (different from "wèi" meaning "for, because of").
omitting the character 所 (losing the nuance of the pattern); using a bare single-syllable verb after 所 (a two-syllable verb is usually needed); misreading 为 as "wèi"; overusing these two patterns in everyday speech, making the sentence overly mannered.
Examples
(1) The pattern 被…所… : to be … made to … by …
This is the first time I felt myself attracted by someone.
Unexpectedly, he was actually deceived by a primary school pupil.
(2) The pattern 为…所… : to be … made to … by … (formal, written usage)
This behavior of his is not tolerated by human society.
This kind of behavior by leaders is often not trusted by people.
Practice
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Learn “被动句5” effectively
The grammar point “被动句5” (Formal passive structures) is one of the key structures at HSK 7. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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