受到 / 遭到 / 得到 / 由【shòudào / zāodào / dédào / yóu】

Formal Chinese often makes the receiver of an action the subject without using 被. With 受到, 遭到 and 得到, the action itself becomes the object – a two-syllable verb used as a noun – and the doer, if named, goes in front of it with 的.

受到, 遭到 or 得到

The choice depends on whether the action is welcome. 受到 is neutral and takes either kind. 遭到 is for something unwelcome: 反对, 拒绝, 批评, 破坏. 得到 is for something wanted: 支持, 帮助, 认可.

由: who is responsible

由 names the person or body who carries out a task. The subject is the task, and nothing bad is happening to it.

为…所

为wéi + agent + 所 + verb is the oldest of these frames and the most written. It is mainly for set phrases in formal prose.

No marker at all

When the subject plainly can't be the doer, Chinese uses no passive marker, in speech and writing alike.

Common mistakes

遭到 doesn't take anything welcome.

• × 小雨遭到了老师的表扬 → 小雨受到了老师的表扬

The verb after 受到 has two syllables. A one-syllable verb needs 被.

• × 他受到了打 → 他被打了