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Article published In: Language and Linguistics
Vol. 27:1 (2026) ► pp.134–174

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A new form of Chinese passives

Shou-passives

 | National Chung Hsing University
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

Published online: 15 September 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/lali.00249.yan
Abstract
The purpose of the paper is twofold: (1) to argue that one type of the Mandarin shou construction can be treated as a new form of passive construction (the shou-passive); and (2) to explore how it differs from the Chinese bei-passive. In previous studies, the shou construction has been treated as a transitive structure in which shou ‘receive, endure’ takes an event nominal as its complement. This study reveals that another type of the shou construction — the shou passive — has emerged, in which shou takes a verbal complement involving movement. Comparison with bei-passives shows that the shou-passive can also be divided into two types — short or long passives — while exhibiting two distinct properties. Shou-passives reject idiom chunk subjects and do not select an Experiencer. These distinctions result from the lexical composition of shou (i.e., Become and Have/Undergo) and the early stage of grammaticalization, which requires every component to be projected. The similarities and differences suggest that the grammaticalization of shou-passives is underway, but not yet completed.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The history of the shou construction
  • 3.Two types of the shou construction
    • 3.1Nominal properties of the complement
    • 3.2Verbal properties of the complement
    • 3.3A nonunified analysis
  • 4.The syntax of bei-passives
  • 5.The syntax of the shou construction
    • 5.1Shou-VP as a Chinese passive construction
    • 5.2The lexical components of shou
    • 5.3Structures of shou-passives
    • 5.4Shou-passives in passivization cartography
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • List of abbreviations
  • References
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