bị is used to show that the subject undergoes or receives something unfavorable, unpleasant, or against their will. The event usually happens to the subject, not because of the subject’s intention.
In many cases, the subject is affected by an action done by another person, thing, or situation. The focus is not on who does the action, but on the negative effect on the subject.
[1a] – Cảnh sát phạt Nam. The police fined Nam.
[1b] – Nam bị cảnh sát phạt. Nam was fined by the police.
→ In [1b], Nam is the person who receives the punishment. The sentence focuses on Nam’s bad experience, not on the police.
This is one of the most common uses of bị.
[2a] – Ông giám đốc giảm lương của Nam. The director docked Nam’s salary.
[2b] – Nam bị giảm lương. Nam had his salary docked.
→ The agent (ông giám đốc) is omitted because it is not necessary for understanding the situation. What matters is that Nam suffers an unfavorable result.
[3a] – Bạn cùng lớp đọc thư của Nam. Nam’s classmates read his letter.
[3b] – Nam bị bạn cùng lớp đọc thư. Nam had his letter read by his classmates.
→ The object of the verb đọc (thư) belongs to Nam. Nam is negatively affected even though he is not the direct object of the verb.
[4] – Tôi bị người ta mua sách trước mất rồi. I lost the chance to buy the book because someone else bought it first.
→ The agent is vague (người ta). The sentence expresses frustration or bad luck.
More examples:
– Tôi bị con khóc suốt đêm nên không ngủ được. I couldn’t sleep because the baby cried all night.
– Tôi đi trễ nên bị người khác chiếm chỗ. I was late, so my seat was taken by someone else.
[5] – Nam bị sốt. Nam has a fever.
[6] – Cô ấy bị đau đầu. She has a headache.
→ In these cases, bị expresses an unpleasant condition. Very often, bị can be omitted without changing the main meaning:
– Nam (bị) sốt. – Cô ấy (bị) đau đầu.
However, keeping bị makes the sentence sound more expressive and subjective.
[7] – Nam bị ngồi ghế hạng hai. Nam had to sit in second class.
→ Nam did not choose this situation. It happened because of circumstances.
– bị: receiving something unfavorable – được: receiving something favorable
[8a] – Nam được khen. Nam was praised.
[8b] – Nam bị phạt. Nam was punished.
– bị: focus on negative result – phải₂: focus on obligation or necessity
[9a] – Tôi phải nghỉ làm. I have to take time off.
[9b] – Tôi bị nghỉ việc. I lost my job.
• bị does NOT always form a passive sentence in the grammatical sense. Vietnamese sentences with bị focus on experience, not voice.
• Some verbs reverse roles when used with bị:
– Anh ấy giết con gấu. He killed a bear.
– Anh ấy bị con gấu giết. He was killed by a bear.
• bị is rarely used for neutral or positive events.
• bị + verb (+ bởi …) Used mostly in formal or written contexts.
– Ông ta bị giết bởi ba kẻ lạ mặt. He was killed by three strangers.
• Fixed expressions:
– bị thương (be injured) – bị đạn (hit by a bullet) – bị bệnh (be ill)