About
被 (bèi) is a phono-semantic compound formed from the semantic radical 衤 (yī, 'clothing') and the phonetic component 皮 (pí), which means 'skin' but here gives the sound. The clothing radical indicates the original meaning: a quilt, blanket, or cover used to drape over the body while sleeping. From this concrete item, the character's use broadened into grammar, where it now typically appears as a preposition introducing the recipient of an action in passive constructions.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我的书被偷了。
杯子被打破了。
他被老师批评了。
昨天，钱包被小偷偷走了。
如果被发现，他会被处罚。
这个计划已经被公司批准了。
由于天气不好，比赛被推迟了。
他的建议被大家认为是合理的。
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