shòupiàn: 受骗 - To be Deceived, to be Cheated, to be Swindled

• Keywords: 受骗, shoupian, shòupiàn, to be deceived in Chinese, to be cheated in Chinese, get scammed in Chinese, how to say swindled in Chinese, Chinese word for cheated, 被骗, shangdang, Chinese scams, HSK 5 vocabulary.
• Summary: Learn how to use 受骗 (shòupiàn) in Chinese, a crucial verb meaning “to be deceived,” “to be cheated,” or “to get scammed.” This comprehensive guide explores the meaning of shòupiàn, its cultural context in modern China, and provides practical examples to help you understand and avoid situations where you might be swindled. We'll also break down the difference between 受骗 and related terms like 被骗 (bèipiàn) and 上当 (shàngdàng) to master this common and important expression for any learner.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shòupiàn
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To suffer deception; to be cheated, scammed, or swindled.
• In a Nutshell: 受骗 (shòupiàn) describes the experience of being on the receiving end of a trick, scam, or lie. The character 受 (shòu) means “to receive” or “to suffer,” while 骗 (piàn) means “to deceive.” Together, they create a passive structure: you “receive deception.” It's the feeling you get when you realize you've been fooled, whether in a small lie from a friend or a major financial scam online.

• 受 (shòu): This character can be visualized as one hand passing something to another. It has come to mean “to receive,” “to accept,” or “to suffer/endure.” The key idea is that the subject is passively experiencing an action from an external source.
• 骗 (piàn): This character is composed of the radical 马 (mǎ), meaning “horse,” and a phonetic component 扁 (biǎn). One folk etymology suggests it relates to the idea of tricking someone by quickly mounting a horse and riding away. Regardless of its origin, its modern meaning is unambiguously “to deceive, to cheat, to swindle.”

By combining these two, 受骗 (shòupiàn) literally translates to “to receive deception.” This structure perfectly emphasizes the victim's perspective and the passive nature of being cheated. You are not the actor; you are the one who has suffered the act of deception.

While being cheated is a universal experience, 受骗 (shòupiàn) taps into specific cultural anxieties in modern China. With the rapid rise of e-commerce and digital communication, topics like online shopping scams (`网购诈骗 wǎnggòu zhàpiàn`) and telecommunication fraud (`电信诈骗 diànxìn zhàpiàn`) are frequent subjects of news reports and public service announcements. In English, one might say “I was duped” or “I got conned.” 受骗 carries a similar meaning but often feels slightly more formal and carries a stronger sense of “suffering” due to the character 受. Furthermore, in a culture that values social harmony and trust within relationships (关系 guānxi), being deceived by an acquaintance or business partner is more than just a financial loss—it's also a significant loss of face (面子 miànzi). Admitting you were 受骗 can be embarrassing as it implies a lapse in judgment. Therefore, the term carries weight and is used to describe a genuinely negative and often painful experience.

受骗 is a standard and widely understood term used in various contexts, from casual conversation to formal news reporting.

• Financial and Consumer Scams: This is the most common usage. It's used when talking about being overcharged, buying fake products (假货 jiǎhuò), or falling for pyramid schemes and online fraud.
• Personal Betrayal: It can also describe being deceived on an emotional level, such as being lied to by a friend or romantic partner. In this context, it emphasizes the emotional hurt from the betrayal of trust.
• Formal vs. Informal: 受骗 is neutral to slightly formal. In very casual, everyday speech, you will often hear its close synonym 上当 (shàngdàng) or 被骗 (bèipiàn). For example, after realizing a “special offer” was a trick, a friend might exclaim, “唉, 我上当了!” (Āi, wǒ shàngdàng le! - “Ugh, I fell for it!”). 受骗 would be used in the same context but might sound slightly more serious.

• Example 1:
  • 我觉得自己受骗了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ juédé zìjǐ shòupiàn le.
  • English: I feel like I've been cheated.
  • Analysis: A very common and direct way to express the feeling of being deceived. `觉得 (juédé)` softens it slightly to “I feel like…”
• Example 2:
  • 很多老年人因为电信诈骗而受骗。
  • Pinyin: Hěnduō lǎoniánrén yīnwèi diànxìn zhàpiàn ér shòupiàn.
  • English: Many elderly people are deceived by telecommunication fraud.
  • Analysis: This is an example of the formal usage you'd see in a news article. The structure `因为…而… (yīnwèi…ér…)` means “to do B because of A.”
• Example 3:
  • 他花了五千块买了个假手机，完全受骗了。
  • Pinyin: Tā huāle wǔqiān kuài mǎile ge jiǎ shǒujī, wánquán shòupiàn le.
  • English: He spent 5,000 yuan on a fake phone, he was completely swindled.
  • Analysis: `完全 (wánquán)` means “completely,” emphasizing the totality of the deception.
• Example 4:
  • 为了不再受骗，你买东西以前一定要看清楚。
  • Pinyin: Wèile bù zài shòupiàn, nǐ mǎi dōngxi yǐqián yīdìng yào kàn qīngchǔ.
  • English: In order not to be deceived again, you must check carefully before you buy things.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses 受骗 in a cautionary context. `不再 (bù zài)` means “not again.”
• Example 5:
  • 我真不敢相信，我竟然被最好的朋友骗了。我受骗的感觉太难受了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zhēn bù gǎn xiāngxìn, wǒ jìngrán bèi zuì hǎo de péngyǒu piàn le. Wǒ shòupiàn de gǎnjué tài nánshòu le.
  • English: I really can't believe I was actually cheated by my best friend. The feeling of being deceived is awful.
  • Analysis: This example shows the difference between the active `被骗 (bèi piàn)` and the noun phrase `受骗的感觉 (shòupiàn de gǎnjué)`, “the feeling of being deceived.”
• Example 6:
  • 这份合同里有陷阱，小心受骗。
  • Pinyin: Zhè fèn hétóng lǐ yǒu xiànjǐng, xiǎoxīn shòupiàn.
  • English: There's a trap in this contract, be careful not to get swindled.
  • Analysis: `小心 (xiǎoxīn)` is a common warning paired with 受骗.
• Example 7:
  • 你有没有受过骗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu shòuguò piàn?
  • English: Have you ever been cheated?
  • Analysis: The particle `过 (guò)` indicates past experience. Note that in this structure, 骗 can sometimes be separated from 受.
• Example 8:
  • 他声称自己是专家，结果很多人都受骗了。
  • Pinyin: Tā shēngchēng zìjǐ shì zhuānjiā, jiéguǒ hěnduō rén dōu shòupiàn le.
  • English: He claimed to be an expert, and as a result, many people were deceived.
  • Analysis: `结果 (jiéguǒ)` introduces the outcome of the deception.
• Example 9:
  • 我宁可多花点钱，也不想受骗上当。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ nìngkě duō huā diǎn qián, yě bùxiǎng shòupiàn shàngdàng.
  • English: I would rather spend a bit more money than be cheated and duped.
  • Analysis: Here, 受骗 is paired with 上当 for emphasis, forming a common four-character phrase `受骗上当`.
• Example 10:
  • 她因为感情受骗，很长一段时间都不相信任何人。
  • Pinyin: Tā yīnwèi gǎnqíng shòupiàn, hěn cháng yīduàn shíjiān dōu bù xiāngxìn rènhé rén.
  • English: Because she was deceived in a relationship, she didn't trust anyone for a very long time.
  • Analysis: This shows the term used for emotional deception (`感情受骗 gǎnqíng shòupiàn`), highlighting the deep impact.

• 受骗 (shòupiàn) vs. 骗 (piàn): This is the most critical distinction. 骗 (piàn) is the active verb “to cheat someone.” 受骗 (shòupiàn) is the passive result “to be cheated.” You cannot use 受骗 with an object.
  • Correct: 他骗了我。(Tā piàn le wǒ.) - He cheated me.
  • Correct: 我受骗了。(Wǒ shòupiàn le.) - I was cheated.
  • Incorrect: ~~我受骗他。~~(Wǒ shòupiàn tā.) - This is grammatically nonsensical.
• 受骗 (shòupiàn) vs. 被骗 (bèipiàn): These terms are very close in meaning but differ in usage and formality.
  • 被骗 (bèipiàn): More common in spoken, colloquial Chinese. It's a standard passive construction using `被 (bèi)` and can easily include the person who did the cheating: 我被他骗了 (Wǒ bèi tā piàn le) - “I was cheated by him.”
  • 受骗 (shòupiàn): Slightly more formal. It's often used in writing, news, or when describing the state of being deceived more abstractly. While you can specify the agent (e.g., 我受了他的骗 - wǒ shòu le tā de piàn), the `被` structure is more common for that purpose.
  • In short: For everyday chat, 被骗 is more frequent. For writing or describing the general phenomenon, 受骗 is a great choice.

• 骗子 (piànzi): The noun for the person who does the deceiving: a “swindler,” “con artist,” or “cheater.”
• 被骗 (bèipiàn): A more colloquial synonym for 受骗, using the standard passive marker `被`.
• 上当 (shàngdàng): A highly common, informal term for “to fall for a trick” or “to be duped.” If 受骗 is “to be swindled,” 上当 is more like “to fall for it.”
• 欺骗 (qīpiàn): An active verb meaning “to deceive” or “to cheat,” often implying a more personal betrayal of trust than the general verb `骗`.
• 诈骗 (zhàpiàn): A formal, often legal, term for “fraud” or “to swindle.” You see this in news reports about criminal rings (`诈骗团伙 zhàpiàn tuánhuǒ`).
• 谎言 (huǎngyán): The noun for “a lie” or “falsehood.” The tool used by a `骗子` to make someone `受骗`.
• 假货 (jiǎhuò): “Fake goods” or “counterfeit products.” A very common reason people feel they have 受骗.
• 陷阱 (xiànjǐng): A “trap” or “pitfall.” You can fall into a scammer's `陷阱` and end up 受骗.