B1 · Intermediate Chapter 3

The Passive Voice: Actions and Impacts

6 Total Rules
64 examples
5 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

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!

What You'll Learn

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.

Chapter Guide

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.

Key Examples (8)

1

Dorobou ni saifu wo nusumareta.

My wallet was stolen by a thief.

Japanese Passive Form: U-Verbs (Ukemi-kei)
2

Tomodachi ni warawareta.

I was laughed at by my friend.

Japanese Passive Form: U-Verbs (Ukemi-kei)
3

Kono keeki wa otouto ni taberareta.

This cake was eaten by my younger brother.

Japanese Passive Form: ru-verbs (～られる)
4

Watashi wa sensei ni homeraremashita.

I was praised by the teacher.

Japanese Passive Form: ru-verbs (～られる)
5

Kare ni furareta.

I got dumped by him.

Japanese Passive: Irregular Verbs (Suru & Kuru)
6

Ame ni furareta.

I got rained on.

Japanese Passive: Irregular Verbs (Suru & Kuru)
7

I had my wallet stolen by a thief.

I had my wallet stolen by a thief.

Japanese Passive Voice: Being Affected by Others (に)
8

I was tagged by a stranger on Instagram!

I was tagged by a stranger on Instagram!

Japanese Passive Voice: Being Affected by Others (に)

Tips & Tricks (4)

⚠️

The 'Wa' Trap

Never say 'ka-areru' for the passive of 'kau'. It's always 'kawareru'. This applies to all verbs ending in a single hiragana 'u' like 'iu', 'omou', or 'warau'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Japanese Passive Form: U-Verbs (Ukemi-kei)
💡

Context is King

Always look for the particle 'ni' to identify the agent in a passive sentence.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Japanese Passive Form: ru-verbs (～られる)
💡

Focus on the 'ni' particle

The 'ni' particle tells you who is doing the action to you. If you see 'ni', it's likely a passive sentence.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Japanese Passive: Irregular Verbs (Suru & Kuru)
💡

Watch the nuance

Remember that the passive voice often implies you were bothered by the action.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Japanese Passive Voice: Being Affected by Others (に)

Key Vocabulary (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

Common Mistakes

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。
Correct: 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。
Correct: 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。
Correct: 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

Quick Practice (10)

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is the passive form?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 食べられる
Rareru is the passive marker.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Japanese Passive Form: ru-verbs (～られる)

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 雨に降られた
Use 'ni' for the culprit.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Indirect Passive: The 'Suffering' Passive

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 雨に降られた
Particle 'ni' is used for the agent.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Japanese Passive Voice: Being Affected by Others (に)

Conjugate the verb.

犬に___(噛む).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 噛まれた
Passive form required.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Japanese Passive Voice: Being Affected by Others (に)

Select the correct particle.

私は先生___叱られました。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: に
Agent is marked by ni.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Japanese Passive Form: U-Verbs (Ukemi-kei)

Conjugate {書く|かく} to passive.

私は彼に手紙を___。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 書かれた
Past tense required.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Japanese Passive Form: U-Verbs (Ukemi-kei)

Fill in the correct passive form.

私は先生に___。(褒める)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 褒められた
Past tense passive.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Japanese Direct Passive: Being Acted Upon (直接受身)

Find the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

{彼|かれ}にsurareru.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sareru
Surareru is incorrect; sareru is the correct form.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Japanese Passive: Irregular Verbs (Suru & Kuru)

Fill in the blank.

私は弟にケーキを___。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 食べられた
Passive form is needed.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Indirect Passive: The 'Suffering' Passive

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

雨が降られた。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 雨に降られた
Agent needs 'ni'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Japanese Passive Form: ru-verbs (～られる)

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

In passive, 'ni' marks the agent.
Usually no, use 'te-morau'.
Yes, especially in formal writing and for expressing inconvenience.
Look at the particles. 'ga' usually indicates potential, 'ni' indicates passive.
They are ancient verbs that have retained unique forms throughout history.
No, it is grammatically incorrect. Always use 'sareru'.
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