ABSTRACT
Cantonese passives are signalled by a béi 畀 phrase similar to the English by phrase. The béi 畀 phrase (béi 畀 + a noun phrase indicating the agent of the action) occurs before the verb:
Dī syutgōu béi dī sailouhjái sihk-jó 啲雪糕畀啲細路仔食咗
(lit. the ice cream by the children eaten)
The ice cream was eaten by the children.
Bún syū béi go hohksāang je-jó 本書畀個學生借咗
The book was borrowed by a student.
Ngóh go jái béi sīnsāang faht-gwo 我個仔畀先生罰過
My son has been punished by the teacher.
The noun phrase denoting the agent of the action is obligatory in spoken Cantonese, in contrast to English and Mandarin which allow agentless passives. When the identity of the agent is unknown or left unspecified, the word yàhn 人 ‘person’ or yéh 嘢 ‘thing’ is used generically:Ngóh go ngàhnbāau béi yàhn tāu-jó 我個銀包畀人偷咗
My wallet was stolen.
Kéuih sèhngyaht béi yàhn ngāak 佢成日畀人呃
He often gets cheated.
Ngóh yauh béi yéh ngáauh chān 我又畀嘢咬親
I’ve been bitten again.
Note the contrast with the English translations in which the agent is not mentioned at all.