Passive Voice Marker 'bị' — Vietnamese Grammar

In Vietnamese, the passive voice is not neutral. You must choose a specific marker based on whether the action affects the subject positively or negatively. is the passive marker used exclusively for unfortunate, unpleasant, or negative events.

When you use , you are indicating that the subject is a "victim" of the action or situation. It roughly translates to "to suffer from," "to be subjected to," or simply "to be" in a negative context.

Basic Structure

The standard word order for a passive sentence using is:

Subject + bị + (Agent) + Verb

The "Agent" is the person or thing performing the action. If the agent is unknown or unimportant, it can be omitted.

Tôi bị chó cắn.
I was bitten by a dog.
Chiếc xe đạp bị lấy trộm.
The bicycle was stolen.

Using 'Bị' for Negative States and Illness

Beyond simple passive verbs, is frequently used with adjectives or nouns to describe negative states of being, such as sickness, damage, or loss. In these cases, it functions like the English "to have" (a sickness) or "to be" (broken/lost).

Cô ấy bị ốm.
She is sick.
Máy tính của tôi bị hỏng.
My computer is broken.
Anh ấy bị lạc đường.
He is lost (lost the way).

Comparison with 'Được'

It is crucial to distinguish from . Both create passive sentences, but they have opposite meanings:

: Used when the action is beneficial or positive (to gain, to receive).
: Used when the action is harmful or negative (to suffer, to undergo).

Compare these two sentences involving the verb "to criticize" () versus "to praise" ():

Nó bị giáo viên phê bình.
He was criticized by the teacher.
Nó được giáo viên khen.
He was praised by the teacher.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Vietnamese course

17 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 63. A few of them, with the words “Passive Voice Marker 'bị'” is about in bold:

Tôi cảm thấy tuyệt vời! Tôi không bị ốm. Tôi khoẻ mạnh.
I feel great! I am not sick. I am healthy.
Lesson 64

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