🇬🇧🇨🇳 passive - 被动的 : English Lesson

Meaning of "passive" ("被动的"), detailed definition, and a short video lesson below.

When you are passive, you don’t really do anything to change what’s happening—you just sit back, let things happen, and don’t try to help, stop, or decide.

Watch and listen to this English flashcard to understand the word in more detail, with an easy example sentence.

I tried being passive with my homework, but sadly, math problems do not solve themselves out of pity.

I was passive about bedtime, so my mom said, "Fine," turned off the light, and left me to negotiate with the monsters alone.

The passive robot didn’t try to fix anything; it just watched the mess and quietly updated its “humans are weird” file.

Our cat is passive during storms; he just lies there like, "If the house blows away, wake me up afterward."

In grammar, a sentence is in the passive voice when the action happens to someone instead of them doing it—like, “The cake was eaten by the dog,” which is exactly what my passive family let happen.

Each night she sat passive on the pier, passive hands in her lap, passive eyes on the little boat drifting toward the rocks. The passive crowd on the shore said nothing. She stayed passive until the boat struck. Then she rose, no longer passive, and plunged into cold water to pull the boat free.

This word is at the C1 level, which means it’s part of advanced English. It’s used in sophisticated conversations, professional settings, and academic discussions. Words at this level help you express yourself fluently and precisely in nuanced situations.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.