Reporting a Theft in Mandarin Chinese: Saying "My Wallet Was Stolen" and Filing a Police Report
Learn to say your wallet was stolen, describe what happened, and understand the steps of filing a police report in Mandarin, with polite phrases for speaking to officers at a police station.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
If your wallet disappears in a Chinese-speaking city, the first practical step is often to go to a police station and file a report. This lesson gives you the exact sentences you need: how to say "My wallet was stolen," how to explain when and where it happened, and how to ask for a copy of the report for your insurance or embassy. Chinese police reports use formal but clear language, and officers will ask short factual questions. You do not need advanced grammar; you need accurate nouns, time expressions, and the passive-like pattern 被 (bèi). By the end, you will be able to start the report, answer basic questions, and request the document you need.
By the end, you can…
- say that my wallet was stolen and state when and where it happened.
- answer an officer's basic questions and ask for a copy of the police report.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
我的钱包被偷了。
My wallet was stolen.
wǒ de qiánbāo bèi tōu le
The core sentence for reporting a theft. 被 (bèi) marks the passive; 了 (le) shows the action is complete.
我要报案。
I want to file a police report.
wǒ yào bào'àn
Say this at the front desk of a police station to state your purpose clearly.
我的钱包不见了。
My wallet is missing.
wǒ de qiánbāo bújiàn le
Softer than 被偷了; use it when you are not yet sure whether it was stolen or simply lost.
大概十分钟以前，在地铁站。
About ten minutes ago, at the subway station.
dàgài shí fēnzhōng yǐqián, zài dìtiě zhàn
A model answer for time and place. Replace the time and place with your own details.
我可以要一份报案证明吗？
May I have a copy of the police report?
wǒ kěyǐ yào yí fèn bào'àn zhèngmíng ma
Use this to request the written record, often needed for insurance or replacing documents.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern 我的 + noun + 被 + verb + 了 reports that something of yours was affected by an action. 我的钱包被偷了。 (My wallet was stolen.) 我的手机被偷了。 (My phone was stolen.) 我的护照被偷了。 (My passport was stolen.) If you are unsure whether it was theft, use 不见了 instead: 我的钱包不见了。 (My wallet is missing.) For the report itself, the fixed phrase is 我要报案。 (I want to file a report.) To give details, add time and place: 大概十分钟以前，在地铁站。 (About ten minutes ago, at the subway station.)
When to use it
Use 被偷了 when you are confident a theft happened, for example after someone bumped into you or you saw an empty pocket. Use 不见了 when you only know the item is gone. At the police station, start with 我要报案。 Then answer questions with short sentences: 大概十分钟以前。 (About ten minutes ago.) 在地铁站。 (At the subway station.) If you need the report for insurance, say 我需要一份报案证明。 (I need a copy of the police report.) Keep your tone calm and polite; add 请问 (qǐngwèn, may I ask) before questions.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
您好，我要报案。我的钱包被偷了。
Hello, I want to file a report. My wallet was stolen.nín hǎo, wǒ yào bào'àn. wǒ de qiánbāo bèi tōu le好的。什么时候？在哪儿？
All right. When? Where?hǎo de. shénme shíhou? zài nǎr大概十分钟以前，在地铁站。
About ten minutes ago, at the subway station.dàgài shí fēnzhōng yǐqián, zài dìtiě zhàn请说一下您的姓名和电话。
Please tell me your name and phone number.qǐng shuō yíxià nín de xìngmíng hé diànhuàA little context goes a long way
In mainland China, report theft at a local 派出所 (pàichūsuǒ, neighborhood police station), not a large headquarters. Bring your passport or ID if you have it. Officers usually type your statement and may ask you to sign; ask for 报案证明 (bào'àn zhèngmíng) if you need proof. Politeness markers 您好 and 请问 are appropriate and help the conversation go smoothly.
One thing to watch for
Saying 我的钱包偷了 without 被, which sounds incomplete and can confuse listeners.
Try this instead: Use the passive marker 被: 我的钱包被偷了。 If you are unsure it was theft, say 我的钱包不见了。 Both are correct in different situations.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say "My phone was stolen" using the 被 pattern?
Show a sample answer
我的手机被偷了。
This follows 我的 + noun + 被 + verb + 了. 手机 (shǒujī) means mobile phone. You could also say 我的手机不见了 if you are not sure it was stolen.
2You are at the police station and want to start a report. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
我要报案。
This is the standard opening. You can add 您好 first: 您好，我要报案。 Other polite variants exist, but this is the clearest.
3You need the report for insurance. How do you ask for it?
Show a sample answer
我可以要一份报案证明吗？
This politely requests the document. 报案证明 (bào'àn zhèngmíng) is the written proof. You could also say 我需要一份报案证明。
Remember three steps: say 我的钱包被偷了, give time and place with 大概…以前，在…, and ask for 报案证明 if you need proof. Keep sentences short and polite.
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