bepassives

Be-passives, or bepassives, refer to a type of passive construction found in many languages in which a finite form of the verb be (or a be-like copula) accompanies a past participle to mark a patient undergoing an action. This periphrastic pattern contrasts with other passive types, such as lexical or impersonal passives, and with get-passives where a different marker signals the change of state.

Formation and syntax: The canonical be-passive follows the pattern: subject + be (conjugated for tense/mood) + past participle, with the agent optionally expressed by a by-phrase. For example in English: The ball was thrown [by John]. The agent phrase can be omitted: The ball was thrown. Be-passives typically center the affected participant (the patient) and the resultant state rather than the agent.

Cross-linguistic variation: Be-passives are widespread but realized differently across languages. In French, the passive is formed with être: La porte est ouverte. In German, passives are built with Werden (Vorgangspassiv) or Sein (Zustandspassiv), yielding similar periphrastic structures. Some languages also employ a dedicated passive marker derived from a copula. In Chinese, the Bei-passive uses 被 (bei) to mark the passive, as in 他被老师表扬. In many languages, be-passives interact with aspect and mood, and may differ in acceptability or frequency compared with alternative passives such as get-passives or synthetic passives.

Use and function: Be-passives commonly foreground the patient and the resulting state, and can convey a formal or objective tone. They interact with discourse factors such as agent presence, animacy, and agency. Historical development often ties be-passives to copular constructions that have acquired passive meaning over time.