被

• Concrete: Bedding; a blanket or quilt.
• Transitive Verb: To cover, drape, or clothe.
• Experiential/Passive: To suffer, encounter, or be overwhelmed by (typically negative circumstances).

• Functions as a passive indicator ("by," "was [verb]ed"). In older strata, this function is rarely neutral and typically carries an adversative nuance of affliction or suffering.

• Compared to 受 (shòu): While 受 focuses on the act of receiving, accepting, or enduring, 被 suggests being "covered" or overwhelmed by a circumstance, often implying an external force descending upon the subject.
• Compared to 遭 (zāo): Specifically denotes encountering disaster or a sudden, adverse collision.

The glyph evolves from a concrete noun (fabric) → active verb (to cover) → experiential verb (to be covered/overwhelmed by misfortune) → formal passive marker.

In early Pre-Qin texts, treat the systemic structural particle usage (Agent + 被 + Patient) with caution. In this period, the glyph more frequently functions as a full verb meaning "to encounter," "to suffer," or "to be submerged in." If the syntax resists a formal passive reading, test these verbal senses first.