The Cantonese passive with 畀 (bei2)
When something is done to you, Cantonese uses bei2 畀, the very same word that means to give. The pattern is subject plus bei2 plus the agent plus the verb. The big surprise for Mandarin speakers is that the agent cannot be dropped. If you do not know who did it, you still have to say bei2 jan4 畀人, literally given by someone.
The basic pattern
A Cantonese passive sentence has four parts in a fixed order: the thing affected, then bei2 畀, then the agent (the doer), then the verb. Read literally, bei2 畀 still carries its give meaning, so the sentence feels like the subject gave itself over to the agent to be acted on.
| Subject | bei2 畀 | Agent | Verb |
|---|---|---|---|
| go3 ngan4 baau1 個銀包 | bei2 畀 | jan4 人 | tau1 zo2 偷咗 |
The agent is required
This is the rule that trips up Mandarin speakers. In Mandarin you can say the short passive with bei4 被 and leave out the doer entirely. Cantonese does not allow that. The slot after bei2 畀 must be filled. If you genuinely do not know who did it, or it does not matter, you put jan4 人 (someone) in the slot. The result, bei2 jan4 畀人 plus the verb, is the workhorse passive you will hear every day.
Saying go3 ngan4 baau1 bei2 tau1 zo2 個銀包畀偷咗 is wrong, because nothing sits between bei2 畀 and the verb. Cantonese needs a doer in that gap. Add jan4 人 when you do not know who it was: go3 ngan4 baau1 bei2 jan4 tau1 zo2 個銀包畀人偷咗. This single habit fixes the most common passive mistake for learners coming from Mandarin.
When you do know the agent
When the doer is a specific person, put them in the agent slot instead of jan4 人. It can be a pronoun like keoi5 佢 (him or her) or a noun like lou5 si1 老師 (teacher). Everything else about the pattern stays the same.
It usually describes bad news
The bei2 畀 passive leans toward unfortunate events: things being stolen, broken, scolded, or otherwise gone wrong. That tone is built into how it feels. For neutral or happy situations, Cantonese speakers tend to use an active sentence instead. Notice how every example so far reports something the subject would rather had not happened.
bei2 畀 is the same word as give
The character in the passive is exactly the one you already know from giving. bei2 畀 means to give, as in bei2 cin2 nei5 畀錢你 (give you money). The passive borrows that giving sense: the subject is, in a way, handed over to the agent. Seeing them as one word makes the passive much easier to remember.
Cantonese 畀 vs Mandarin 被
If you have studied Mandarin, map the two systems carefully. They look similar but differ on the one point that matters most.
| Point | Cantonese | Mandarin |
|---|---|---|
| Passive marker | bei2 畀 | bei4 被 |
| Can the agent be dropped? | No, fill it with jan4 人 | Yes, 被 alone is fine |
| Same word as give? | Yes, bei2 畀 also means to give | No, give is a different word |
| Typical tone | Often unfortunate events | Often unfortunate events |
Common mistakes
Dropping the agent like Mandarin
The single biggest error is leaving the agent out. ngo5 go3 ngan4 baau1 bei2 tau1 zo2 我個銀包畀偷咗 sounds incomplete to a Cantonese ear. Whenever the doer is unknown, slot in jan4 人: ngo5 go3 ngan4 baau1 bei2 jan4 tau1 zo2 我個銀包畀人偷咗. If you remember nothing else, remember this. Because bei2 畀 is also the verb to give, it helps to see how it works in plain giving sentences too, covered in the giving with bei2 guide.
Writing 俾 instead of 畀
You will often see the passive written as 俾 online. In this guide, and across YumCha, the standard form is 畀. They are pronounced the same, bei2, but 畀 is the form we standardise on, so keep your writing consistent and use 畀 every time.
Forgetting the completion marker
Many passive sentences report a finished event, so the verb usually carries zo2 咗 for completion. ngan4 baau1 bei2 jan4 tau1 zo2 銀包畀人 偷咗 means the wallet got stolen and the theft is done. Leaving zo2 咗 off can make the sentence sound unfinished. For more on completion and other aspect markers, see the aspect markers guide.
