An Analysis of ‘Bei+X’ Constructional Meaning in Modern Chinese

This study examines the ‘Bei+X’ construction in modern Chinese, revealing that it functions as an independent form-meaning pairing, unlike traditional Bei construction. By combining diverse parts of speech such as intransitive verbs, adjectives and nouns, ‘Bei+X’ gains distinct semantic traits. Therefore these features allow for efficient representation of manipulated realities, unintended states, or external coercion, thus broadening expressive capacity beyond agent-patient relations in modern Chinese.