B1 · Intermedio Capítulo 3

The Passive Voice: Actions and Impacts

6 Reglas totales
64 ejemplos
5 min
Reglas en este capítulo Práctica rápida

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the Japanese passive voice to express your experiences and shift the focus of your sentences.

  • Form passive verbs for all conjugation groups.
  • Identify the difference between direct and indirect passive usage.
  • Express personal feelings and reactions to events using the suffering passive.
Shift the spotlight: Master your Japanese perspective!

Lo que aprenderás

Ready to truly level up your Japanese and express yourself with more nuance? This chapter is all about the **Passive Voice**, a super useful tool for changing your sentence's focus! You know how sometimes you want to talk about *what happened to you* or *how something affected you*, rather than who did the action? That's exactly what you'll master here. First, we'll dive into the mechanics: how to form the passive for both U-verbs and Ru-verbs, even those tricky irregulars like Suru and Kuru (they become Sareru and Korareru!). You'll see how these forms let you talk about being given a present respectfully, or even subtly hint at annoyance when something inconvenient happens. Then, we'll connect these forms to real-life situations. You'll learn to use に to pinpoint *who* performed the action that affected you, shifting the spotlight to your experience. We'll differentiate between the **Direct Passive**, where you're simply describing being acted upon (like

I was praised by my teacher
), and the powerful **Indirect Passive** – often called the 'Suffering' Passive – which is perfect for complaining (just a little!) when someone else's actions negatively impacted your day (e.g.,
My little brother ate my snack
becomes
My snack was eaten by my little brother, and it bothered me!
). By the end of this chapter, you won't just understand passive forms; you'll confidently use them to talk about events from your perspective, express subtle feelings, and make your Japanese sound much more natural and expressive. Get ready to put yourself at the center of the action!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Form the passive voice for any verb and distinguish between standard and 'suffering' passive usage.

Guía del capítulo

Overview

Welcome to a crucial step in your B1 Japanese grammar journey! This chapter unlocks the power of the Passive Voice, a fundamental grammar point that will significantly enhance your ability to express nuance and shift the focus of your sentences. Understanding the passive voice is key to moving beyond simple subject-verb-object structures and engaging with more complex and natural-sounding Japanese.
In the CEFR framework, mastering this allows you to describe experiences, feelings, and the impact of events on you, which is a hallmark of B1 proficiency. You'll learn how to talk about being acted upon, and importantly, how to express the subtle suffering or inconvenience that often accompanies these actions.
This grammar guide is designed to make the Japanese passive voice accessible and practical. We'll break down the formation of passive verbs for different verb types, including those often tricky irregulars like する (suru) and 来る (kuru). You'll discover how to use particles like に to clearly indicate the agent of the action, placing the emphasis squarely on your experience.
By the end of this chapter, you'll be equipped to discuss events from your personal perspective, express a wider range of emotions, and make your Japanese sound far more sophisticated and authentic. Get ready to put yourself at the center of the action!

How This Grammar Works

At its core, the Japanese passive voice allows you to reframe sentences so that the subject is the recipient of an action, rather than the performer. We'll start with the mechanics of forming the passive, covering the Japanese Passive Form: U-Verbs (Ukemi-kei) and Japanese Passive Form: ru-verbs (～られる). For U-verbs, you change the final 'u' sound to an 'a' sound and add 'reru' (e.g., 読む yomu → 読まれる yomareru).
For ru-verbs, you simply replace the 'ru' with 'rareru' (e.g., 食べる taberu → 食べられる taberareru). Don't forget the Japanese Passive: Irregular Verbs (Suru & Kuru)! する (suru) becomes される (sareru), and 来る (kuru) becomes 来られる (korareru).
Once you have the passive verb form, you often need to indicate who performed the action. This is where Japanese Passive Voice: Being Affected by Others (に) comes in. The particle に (ni) is used to mark the agent.
For example, 先生に褒められました (Sensei ni homeraremashita) means
I was praised by the teacher.
This is the Japanese Direct Passive: Being Acted Upon (直接受身). However, Japanese also has the Indirect Passive: The 'Suffering' Passive, which is used when the action, even if not directly harmful, causes some inconvenience or negative feeling. For instance, 弟にお菓子を食べられた (Otōto ni okashi o taberareta) literally means
My snack was eaten by my younger brother,
but it carries the strong implication of "My snack was eaten by my younger brother, and I'm annoyed!" This nuance is what makes the passive voice so powerful for expressing personal experiences.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong: «友達に会われる» (Tomodachi ni awareru)
✓ Correct: «友達に会う» (Tomodachi ni au) or «友達に会った» (Tomodachi ni atta)
*Explanation:* While 会われる (awareru) is the passive form of 会う (au), it's rarely used in the direct passive sense of to be met. Instead, it's almost exclusively used in the suffering passive, implying someone unexpectedly meeting you in an inconvenient way. For simply meeting a friend, use the active form.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: «先生は私に日本語を教られた» (Sensei wa watashi ni Nihongo o oshirareru)
✓ Correct: «先生に日本語を教えてもらった» (Sensei ni Nihongo o oshiete moratta) or «先生は私に日本語を教えた» (Sensei ni Nihongo o oshieru)
*Explanation:* While 教えられる (oshierareru) is the passive form of 教える (oshieru), it's usually reserved for the suffering passive where the teaching itself is perceived as a burden or inconvenience. To express being taught by a teacher in a neutral or positive way, you would typically use the causative-passive form with もらう (morau), meaning
to receive the favor of being taught.

Real Conversations

A

A

昨日、雨に降られたよ。 (Kinō, ame ni fura reta yo.) (Yesterday, it rained on me.)
B

B

あら、それは大変だったね。 (Ara, sore wa taihen datta ne.) (Oh, that must have been tough.)
A

A

弟に宿題を消されたんだ！ (Otōto ni shukudai o keshareta n da!) (My little brother erased my homework!)
B

B

ええ！それは許せないね。 (Ee! Sore wa yurusenai ne.) (What?! That's unforgivable!)

Quick FAQ

Q

When should I use the Japanese passive voice in B1 Japanese?

You should use the passive voice when you want to emphasize what happened to you or how an action affected you, rather than who performed the action. It's also crucial for expressing the suffering passive when an action causes you inconvenience or annoyance.

Q

How do I form the passive for verbs ending in -eru in Japanese grammar?

For ru-verbs (verbs ending in -eru, like 食べる taberu), you change the final 'ru' to 'rareru'. So, 食べる (taberu) becomes 食べられる (taberareru).

Q

What's the difference between direct and indirect passive in Japanese?

The Direct Passive simply states that an action was done to the subject (e.g., I was praised). The Indirect Passive, or 'Suffering' Passive, implies that the action, while done to the subject, caused some form of inconvenience, annoyance, or negative feeling (e.g., "My snack was eaten by my brother, and I'm upset!").

Q

How do I indicate who performed the action in a Japanese passive sentence?

You use the particle に (ni) after the noun that represents the performer of the action. For example, 先生に褒められた (Sensei ni homerareta) means

I was praised by the teacher.

Cultural Context

Native Japanese speakers frequently use the passive voice, especially the suffering passive, to express polite complaints or to subtly convey their feelings without being overly direct. This reflects a cultural preference for indirect communication and maintaining harmony. You'll hear it often when discussing minor inconveniences caused by others.

Ejemplos clave (6)

1

Kono keeki wa otouto ni taberareta.

Este pastel fue comido por mi hermano menor.

La forma pasiva en japonés: verbos ru (～られる)
2

Watashi wa sensei ni homeraremashita.

Fui elogiado por el profesor.

La forma pasiva en japonés: verbos ru (～られる)
3

Kare ni furareta.

Él me dejó (me cortó).

Pasiva Japonesa: Verbos Irregulares (Suru y Kuru)
4

Ame ni furareta.

Me pilló la lluvia.

Pasiva Japonesa: Verbos Irregulares (Suru y Kuru)
5

Densha de tonari no hito ni ashi o fumaremashita.

La persona de al lado me pisó el pie en el tren.

Pasiva de Sufrimiento (Indirecta)
6

Kareshi ni keitai o mirareta. Saiaku!

Mi novio me vio el celular. ¡Lo peor!

Pasiva de Sufrimiento (Indirecta)

Consejos y trucos (4)

⚠️

La trampa de la 'Wa'

Nunca digas 'ka-areru' para el pasivo de 'kau'. Siempre es «{買わ|かわ}れる». Esto aplica a todos los verbos que terminan en una sola hiragana 'u' como 'iu' o 'warau'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz pasiva en japonés: Verbos U (Ukemi-kei)
🎯

Busca la partícula に

Si ves un verbo en ～られる y dudas, busca una persona con に. Es la señal de que es pasiva: «弟に食べられた».
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: La forma pasiva en japonés: verbos ru (～られる)
🎯

La regla de la 'R'

Recuerda: las formas pasivas siempre tienen un sonido 'R' (sa**r**eru, kora**r**eru). Si no hay 'R', ¡probablemente no sea pasiva! Saremasu.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pasiva Japonesa: Verbos Irregulares (Suru y Kuru)
🎯

La regla de la 'W'

Si el verbo termina en u solita como {言|い}う, la pasiva usa wa en vez de a. ¡Dí «言われる» y no 'iareru'!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Pasiva en Japonés: Ser afectado por otros (に)

Vocabulario clave (5)

褒める(ほめる) to praise 踏む(ふむ) to step on 誘う(さそう) to invite 驚く(おどろく) to be surprised 信じる(しんじる) to believe

Real-World Preview

award

The Office Praise

Review Summary

  • U-verb -> ~areru
  • Subject + Target + ni + Object + ga + Passive

Errores comunes

The particle 'ni' is required to mark the agent in passive sentences, not 'o'.

Wrong: 私は先生を褒められました。
Correcto: 私は先生に褒められました。

In indirect passive, the subject is the victim, and the agent uses 'ni'.

Wrong: 弟がケーキを食べられました。
Correcto: 弟にケーキを食べられました。

The passive suffix is added directly to the verb stem, not as a separate word.

Wrong: 食べるをられました。
Correcto: 食べられました。

Next Steps

You are doing amazing! The passive voice is a huge milestone in Japanese fluency. Keep practicing, and it will become second nature.

Write 5 sentences about annoying things that happened to you this week using the suffering passive.

Continue to: Intentions, Suggestions, and Commands

Práctica rápida (10)

Corrige la forma pasiva de 'kau' (comprar).

私は知らない人にさいごのPS5を{買あ|かあ}れた。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: {買わ|かわ}れた
Los verbos que terminan en 'u' cambian a 'wa' en la forma pasiva, no a 'a'. Así que 'kau' se vuelve 'kawareru'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz pasiva en japonés: Verbos U (Ukemi-kei)

Rellena el espacio con la forma pasiva correcta

田中さんに___。(Tanaka vino y fue un inconveniente).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: こられた (korareta)
Como la visita fue molesta (pasiva de sufrimiento), usamos la pasiva de 'kuru', que es 'korareru'. 'Kita' es solo 'vino' en tono neutral.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pasiva Japonesa: Verbos Irregulares (Suru y Kuru)

¿Qué oración expresa mejor tu molestia?

Situación: Llovió y no tenías paraguas.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 雨に降られました。 (Ame ni furaremashita.)
La opción 2 (Pasiva Indirecta) enfatiza que TÚ fuiste afectado negativamente por la lluvia.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pasiva de Sufrimiento (Indirecta)

¿Qué frase expresa que fuiste invitado?

Elige la frase correcta:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 友達に招待された。 (Tomodachi ni shoutai sareta.)
'Shoutai sareta' es la forma pasiva 'fui invitado'. La primera opción significa 'Yo invité a un amigo'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pasiva Japonesa: Verbos Irregulares (Suru y Kuru)

Llena el espacio en blanco con la forma pasiva correcta del verbo entre paréntesis.

ひどい！{私|わたし}のプリンが___！({食べる|たべる})

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 食べられた
Para decir 'fue comido' (pasiva de sufrimiento), cambias el verbo -ru 食べる a su forma pasiva 食べられる. En pasado es 食べられた.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: La forma pasiva en japonés: verbos ru (～られる)

Completa el espacio con la forma pasiva correcta.

¡Mi hermana se comió mi pastel! (Me comieron el pastel). {姉|あね}にケーキを______。 (taberu - comer)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 食べられた (taberareta)
Para verbos Ru como 'taberu', quitas -ru y añades -rareru para formar la pasiva.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pasiva de Sufrimiento (Indirecta)

Encuentra y corrige el error en la oración.

このビルは20年前に建てれました。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: このビルは20年前に建てられました。
La forma corta ～れる no se puede usar para la voz pasiva. Debes usar la forma completa ～られる.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: La forma pasiva en japonés: verbos ru (～られる)

Encuentra el error en la conjugación pasiva

Find and fix the mistake:

明日、彼にこされると困る。(Ashita, kare ni kosareru to komaru.)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 明日、彼にこられると困る。
La pasiva de 'kuru' (venir) es 'korareru', no 'kosareru'. 'Kosareru' no existe en japonés.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pasiva Japonesa: Verbos Irregulares (Suru y Kuru)

Encuentra el error en esta oración.

Estaba feliz porque mi amigo me ayudó. {友達|ともだち}に{手伝|てつだ}われました。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Usa {手伝|てつだ}ってもらいました (tetsudatte moraimashita)
La forma pasiva '{手伝|てつだ}われた' suena a que la ayuda fue una molestia. Para favores positivos, usa '~te morau'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pasiva de Sufrimiento (Indirecta)

¿Qué oración dice correctamente 'Fui visto por mi profesor'?

Elige la oración correcta:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 私は先生に見られました。
La forma pasiva de 見る es 見られる. El agente (profesor) se marca con に.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: La forma pasiva en japonés: verbos ru (～られる)

Score: /10

Preguntas frecuentes (6)

Sí, pero es más formal. Por ejemplo: 'Este edificio fue construido' («{建設|けんせつ}された»). En el día a día, la usamos más para personas afectadas.
'-reru' es para verbos U (Godan). '-rareru' es para verbos Ru (Ichidan) y el irregular 'kuru' («{来|こ}られる»). Tienen el mismo propósito.
Es súper fácil: toma el verbo, quita el る final y añade られる. Por ejemplo, {見る|みる} se convierte en {見られる|みられる}.
¡Para nada! Aunque la 'pasiva de sufrimiento' es famosa, también se usa para cosas buenas, como ser invitado: «招待される».
Son suru (hacer) que se convierte en sareru, y kuru (venir) que pasa a ser korareru. Sareta y Korareta son sus formas pasadas.
En sentido pasivo, sí, suele implicar que el hablante se sintió molesto, como en Kyaku ni korareta (vino un cliente y me molestó). Pero si se usa con un superior, es positivo y respetuoso.
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