让 / 叫 / 给【ràng / jiào / gěi】

让, 叫 and 给 mark a passive in everyday speech, in the same frame as 被: the thing affected first, then the marker, then the doer and the verb. Like 被, they report something unwelcome, and the verb needs something after it.

让 and 叫 need a doer

After 让 or 叫, the doer can't be left out. When there is no one to name, use 人.

• × 我的自行车让骑走了 → 我的自行车让人骑走了
• × 我的自行车叫偷了 → 我的自行车叫人偷了

给 can go without a doer, as 被 can.

给 in front of the verb

给 can also go straight before the verb in a sentence that already has 被, 让 or 叫. It adds no meaning but makes the sentence sound more spoken.

Passive or "let"

让 and 叫 also mean "let" or "make someone do". The order of the sentence tells you which. If the first noun is the doer of the verb, it's "let"; if it's the one the verb happens to, it's a passive.

In writing and formal speech, use 被.