被 meaning and stroke order
Quilt; to cover (with); (literary) to suffer (a misfortune)
How to write 被, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 被
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- quilt
- to cover (with)
- (literary) to suffer (a misfortune)
- used to indicate passive voice (placed before the doer of the action like "by" in English passive-voice sentences, or, if the doer is not mentioned, before the verb)
- (since c. 2009) (sarcastic or jocular) used to indicate that the following word should be regarded as being in air quotes (as in 被旅遊|被旅游[bei4 lu : 3 you2] to "go on a trip")
How 被 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Cloth.
衤 gives the meaning and 皮 hints at the sound.
Radical: 衤 (cloth), shared by 72 characters on this site.
How to remember 被
被 combines 衤 (cloth) on the left with 皮 (pí, skin) on the right, which hints at the sound. Picture a piece of cloth laid over your skin at night: a quilt that covers you, just as the subject of a passive sentence is "covered" by what happens to it.
As a noun, 被 appears mainly in 被子 (bèizi, quilt). Its most common grammar use marks the passive: subject + 被 + doer + verb, often for something unpleasant. Example: 我的钱包被偷了。(Wǒ de qiánbāo bèi tōu le.) My wallet was stolen.
Common mistake: Learners often use 被 with a bare verb, like 他被批评 without anything after it. In speech, the verb usually needs a result or 了, as in 他被批评了. Also, do not confuse 被 with 破 (pò, broken), which shares the 皮 part but has 石 (stone) on the left.
Common words with 被
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 被子 | bèizi | blanket; quilt | HSK 3 |
| 被迫 | bèipò | to be compelled; to be forced | HSK 4 |
| 被动 | bèidòng | passive | HSK 5 |
| 被告 | bèigào | (law) the defendant; the accused | HSK 6 |
| 被捕 | bèibǔ | to be arrested; under arrest | HSK 7-9 |
| 被困 | bèikùn | to be trapped; to be stranded | |
| 被害人 | bèihàirén | victim | |
| 被控 | bèikòng | to be charged; to be accused (of an offense) | |
| 被害者 | bèihàizhě | victim (of a wounding or murder) | |
| 被告人 | bèigàorén | defendant (in legal case) | |
| 被窝 | bèiwō | (traditional bedding) quilt wrapped around the body as a tube; (contemporary) bedding; bed | |
| 被单 | bèidān | (bed) sheet; envelope for a padded coverlet |
被 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 被
How many strokes are in 被?
被 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 被 mean?
被 (bèi) means quilt; to cover (with); (literary) to suffer (a misfortune). A common word with it is 被子 (bèizi), meaning "blanket; quilt".
How do you pronounce 被?
被 is pronounced bèi, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 被?
The radical of 被 is 衤, which carries the idea of "cloth". Dictionaries list 被 under this radical.
Is 被 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 被 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Can I use 被 for good things happening to someone?
Traditionally 被 is used mostly for negative or unwanted events, like being arrested 被捕 (bèibǔ) or trapped 被困 (bèikùn). Modern Chinese allows neutral uses such as 他被选为班长 (he was chosen as class monitor), but many natural sentences just use an active form instead.
What is the difference between 被, 叫, and 让 in passive sentences?
All three can mark the doer in a passive sentence. 被 works in both writing and speech and can drop the doer, as in 车被修好了. 叫 (jiào) and 让 (ràng) are more colloquial and normally need the doer stated, as in 杯子让他打破了.