Patient as Subject (Notional Passive)
受事主语
Place the object (patient) in subject position to emphasize what happened to it, without using 被
Move the object (the thing being acted upon) to the front of the sentence as the topic/subject. The doer (agent) may appear after the object or be omitted entirely.
This is also called the "notional passive" or "topicalized object." Unlike the 被 passive, no passive marker is used. The word order alone signals that the object is the topic. This is one of the most natural-sounding patterns in spoken Chinese.
Lesson Targets
Podcast
Podcast: Patient as Subject (Notional Passive) (受事主语)
Listen to Jason & Amy explain the 受事主语 pattern
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Understanding 受事主语
In Chinese, you do not always need 被 to express a passive meaning. Instead, you can simply move the object — the thing being acted on — to the front of the sentence. This creates a "notional passive" where the object becomes the topic. For example, instead of saying 我吃光了饭 (I ate all the food), you can say 饭都吃光了 (The food has all been eaten up). The focus shifts from the doer to what happened to the food. This pattern feels very natural in spoken Chinese and is used far more often than the formal 被 passive. You will hear it constantly: 作业做完了 (The homework is done), 票卖完了 (The tickets are sold out), 衣服洗好了 (The clothes have been washed). Mastering this pattern will make your Chinese sound much more natural and native-like.
Key Points
- The patient (受事) — the thing being acted upon — moves to subject position.
- No passive marker (被) is needed — word order alone creates the passive meaning.
- The agent (doer) can appear after the patient or be omitted entirely.
- Result complements and 了 are commonly used: 吃光了, 做完了, 卖完了.
- This is more natural and common in spoken Chinese than the 被 construction.
- Often used with 都 for emphasis: 饭都吃光了 (All the food has been eaten up).
- The agent, when included, comes between the patient and the verb: 作业我做完了.
Chinese is fundamentally a topic-prominent language, meaning sentences are organized around what you are talking about, not necessarily who did it. The patient-as-subject pattern is a perfect example of this. Understanding this concept is key to thinking in Chinese rather than translating from English.
Key Vocabulary
Example Sentences
饭都吃光了。
The food has all been eaten up.
Patient (饭) is the subject
作业我做完了。
The homework — I have finished it.
Agent (我) appears between patient and verb
这本书我已经看过三遍了。
This book — I have already read it three times.
票卖完了。
The tickets are sold out.
No agent — focus is on the tickets
衣服洗好了。
The clothes have been washed.
那个问题他已经解决了。
That problem — he has already solved it.
信寄出去了。
The letter has been sent out.
杯子打碎了。
The cup got broken.
Common Mistakes
The patient (饭) must come first as the subject. 都 comes before the verb, and the result complement (光) comes after the verb, followed by 了.
When including the agent, place it between the patient-subject and the verb: 作业 + 我 + 做完了.
Practice Exercises
Tips & Tricks
This pattern is far more common than 被 in everyday Chinese. Embrace it!
When you want to talk about what happened to something, put that thing first.
Result complements (完, 光, 好, 碎) are your best friends in this pattern — they tell what happened.
Practice with daily situations: 饭做好了 (Dinner is ready), 门关上了 (The door is closed).
Homework
Rewrite five sentences from active voice (我做完了作业) into patient-as-subject form (作业我做完了). Think about items at home: food, clothes, homework, books, doors.