ba and bei

Chinese Lesson 4: Caring for Others

Objectives

  • Students will be able to:

    1. Use the passive tense to change the focus of the sentence.

    2. Change a 把 (bǎ) sentence into a 被 (bèi) sentence (passive voice).

    3. Describe symptoms.

    4. Give and understand directions about hospitals.

    5. Show concern for others and respond when others show concern for you.

Review on 把 (bǎ) Sentence Construction

  • Use 把 to write the following sentences:

    1. She broke my cups.

    • 她把我的杯子打破了。

    1. He knocked over my younger sister.

    • 他把我的妹妹撞倒了。

    1. He drove my car over there.

    • 他把我的车开过去了。

    • 他把我的車開過去了。

    1. He finished reading the book.

    • 他把书看完了。

    • 他把書看完了。

Structure of 把 Sentences

  • 把字句 (bǎ zì jù) Structure:

    • S 把 object + verb + …

Passive Sentences (被字句, bèi zì jù)

  • The passive tense in Chinese is similar to English but usually occurs in specific structures:

1. Unmarked Passive Structure

  • Commonly occurs as a topic-comment sentence:

    • 饭做好了。
      (The meal is made.)

    • 功课都写完了。
      (Homework is done.)

    • 行李整理好了。
      (Luggage is organized.)

2. Using 被 (bèi)

  • Use 被 (bèi), 叫 (jiào), or 让 (ràng) to indicate the passive tense:

    • Structure: Object + 被/叫/让 + Subject + 给 + verb + …

    • Note: Subject is optional for 被, but required for 叫 and 让.

Examples:

  1. She broke my cups.

    • 我的杯子被她打破了。

  2. He knocked over my younger sister.

    • 我妹妹叫他撞倒了。

Notes on 被

  1. 被 is the most commonly used passive structure word.

  2. 叫 and 让/讓 are informal and usually used with 给 (gěi).

  3. 被 typically conveys negative feelings such as loss, sadness, surprise, or misfortune.

  4. Not all passive sentences can be translated into 被.

Additional Notes on Passive Forms

  • Not all passive sentences can be translated into 被; for instance:

    1. This book is written by Mr. Wang.

    • 这本书是王先生写的。

    1. Your check has been received (topic-comment).

    • 你的支票被收到了。

Vocabulary Part 1

  1. 住院 (zhùyuàn) - to be hospitalized

    • 我的室友已经住院两个星期了。
      (My roommate has been hospitalized for two weeks.)

  2. 照顾/照顧 (zhàogu) - to take care of

    • 我们暑假要去旅行，朋友会照顾我的小狗。
      (We'll go on a trip this summer; my friend will take care of my dog.)

  3. 到底 (dàodǐ) - after all

    • 你到底是不是我的好朋友？
      (After all, are you my friend?)

  4. 回 (huí) - MW for actions/matters

    • 我已经说了很多回了，不想再说了。
      (I’ve talked about it many times; I don’t want to talk anymore.)

  5. 事情 (shìqíng) - matter

    • 妈妈说她有一件很重要的事情要告诉大家。
      (Mom said she has something very important to tell everyone.)

  6. 经过/經過 (jīngguò)

    • Verb: to pass by

      • 我会经过一个小吃店。
        (I will pass by a snack bar when I go home.)

    • Noun: process

      • 我把事情的经过告诉了老师。
        (I told my teacher about how it happened.)

  7. 肚子疼 (tèng) - stomach hurts

    • 我的肚子疼。
      (My stomach hurts.)

  8. 以为 (yǐwéi) - to think, consider

    • 我以为你早就走了呢。
      (I thought you left a long time ago.)

  9. 管 (guǎn) - to mind, care

    • 你不用管他。
      (Don’t mind him.)

  10. 拖 (tuō) - to drag, mop

    • 我肚子疼了很久，但是一直拖着没去看医生。
      (My stomach has been hurting for a while, and I procrastinated seeing a doctor.)

  11. 厉害/厲害 (lìhài) - impressive or severe

    • 她的中文说得越来越好了，太厉害了！
      (Her Chinese is improving a lot; it’s impressive!)

Vocabulary Part 2

  1. 情况/情況 (qíngkuàng) - situation

    • 这是什么情况？
      (What is this situation?)

  2. 救护车/救護車 (jiùhùchē) - ambulance

    • 你怎么了？我看到救护车刚来了。
      (What’s wrong? I saw the ambulance just now.)

  3. 急诊室/急診室 (jízhěnshì) - ER

    • 急诊室人山人海。
      (The ER is packed.)

  4. 开刀/開刀 - to operate (informal)

    • 你得快点去医院，你病得厉害，应该需要开刀手术。
      (You need to go to the hospital now; you’re very sick and might need surgery.)

  5. 动手术/動手術 (dòng shǒushù) - to perform surgery

    • 他今天要开刀动阑尾炎手术了。
      (He will undergo appendicitis surgery today.)

  6. 吓死/嚇死 (xià sǐ) - scared to death

    • 吓死我了！
      (You scared me to death!)

  7. 手术室/手術室 (shǒushùshì) - operating room

    • 我的朋友是个护士，她在手术室工作。
      (My friend is a nurse; she works in the operating room.)

  8. 担心/擔心 (dānxīn) - to worry

    • 我一点儿都不担心。他一定会越来越好的。
      (I’m not worried at all; he will definitely improve.)

Key Phrases and Sentences

  1. 通知 (tōngzhī) - to notify; notice

    • 你通知你的父母了吗？
      (Did you inform your parents?)

  2. 父母 (fùmǔ) - parents

    • 我的父母是二十多年前来美国的。
      (My parents came to the USA over 20 years ago.)

  3. 请假 (qǐngjià) - to ask for leave

    • 明天崔老师请假了，你不用去找她了。
      (Tomorrow Ms. Choi will be absent. You don’t need to look for her.)

  4. 早日康复 (zǎorì kāngfù) - wish you get better soon

    • 祝你早日康复。
      (Wish you get better soon!)

Practice Sentences

  1. My mom got picked up by an ambulance and sent to the hospital.

  2. I happened to see she went to the ER. What’s her situation?

  3. I got scared to death by that car. I almost got hit by it.

  4. Don’t worry! She got taken care of by the good nurses.

  5. The surgery didn’t go well. They will perform another surgery next month.