Chinese word

被动

Pronunciation

Pinyinbèi dòng

Meaning

  • adjectivepassive

Example

他在工作上很被动。tā zài gōng zuò shàng hěn bèi dòng

He is very passive at work.

Illustration for 被动 (passive)

More examples

在团队讨论中，他总是被动，很少自己发言。zài tuán duì tǎo lùn zhōng tā zǒng shì bèi dòng hén shǎo zì jǐ fā yán

In team discussions, he is always passive and rarely speaks up on his own.

Core concept

Action begins only when an outside force or another person sets it in motion.

Common phrases

  • 被动态度bèi dòng tài dù

    passive attitude

  • 被动性格bèi dòng xìng gé

    passive personality

  • 被动反应bèi dòng fǎn yìng

    passive reaction

Similar words

主动zhǔ dòng: Starting action willingly and taking the lead in influencing people or situations.
消极xiāo jí: Showing little interest or motivation, with weak action and slow responses.
被迫bèi pò: Forced by outside circumstances to act without freely choosing to do so.
顺从shùn cóng: Following other people's wishes and avoiding personal opinions or demands.

Definition in Chinese

表示不发起行动、由外界力量或他人推动而产生的被动性质或处境。biǎo shì bù fā qǐ xíng dòng yóu wài jiè lì liàng huò tā rén tuī dòng ér chǎn shēng de bèi dòng xìng zhì huò chǔ jìng

Word origin

被动 (bèidòng, "passive") combines 被 (bèi, "be acted on") with 动 (dòng, "move"), presenting movement that comes from outside rather than from the subject.

Usage tips

  • English often uses passive mainly for grammar, but this Chinese word also describes a person's conduct or a situation in everyday conversation.

Other meanings

  • unassertiveadjective
  • passivitynoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 被动地bèi dòng dìpassivelyadverb
  • 被动性bèi dòng xìngpassivitynoun
  • 被动语态bèi dòng yǔ tàipassive voicenoun

Word lists with this word