wǒ de shū bèi tā jiè zǒu le, búguò míngtiān tā huì sòng huílái.

My book was borrowed by him, but he will bring it back tomorrow.

Breakdown of wǒ de shū bèi tā jiè zǒu le, búguò míngtiān tā huì sòng huílái.

• 我wǒ: I
• 的de: possessive particle
• 他tā: he
• 明天míngtiān: tomorrow

Questions & Answers about wǒ de shū bèi tā jiè zǒu le, búguò míngtiān tā huì sòng huílái.

What does 被 do in this sentence?

被 marks passive voice. The affected thing comes first (here 我的书), the agent follows 被 (here 他), then the verb: 书被他借走了 = “The book was borrowed by him.” Active equivalent: 他借走了我的书。

Does 被 always imply something negative or unwanted?

Not always. It often suggests an event outside the subject’s control and can sound slightly adverse, but it can be neutral depending on context. Here it’s close to “was borrowed (away).” If you want a neutral active tone, say 他借走了我的书 or 他把我的书借走了.

How can I say this without 被?

Common options:

• 他把我的书借走了。
• 他借走了我的书。 Informal colloquial passive: 我的书给他借走了。 (using 给 as a passive marker)

What does the 走 in 借走 add?

走 is a resultative complement meaning “away.” 借了 = borrowed (no emphasis on where it is now); 借走了 = borrowed and took it away (it’s gone from here). Similar patterns: 拿走、带走、买走.

Can I use 借去 instead of 借走?