Japanese Passive Voice: Being Affected by Others (に)
に to identify who performed the action in Japanese passive sentences, often highlighting personal impact or feelings.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the passive voice to describe actions done to you, often implying a sense of annoyance or inconvenience.
- Group 1 (u-verbs): Change final 'u' to 'a' + reru. (e.g., {書く|かく} -> {書かれる|かかれる})
- Group 2 (ru-verbs): Replace 'ru' with 'rareru'. (e.g., {食べる|たべる} -> {食べられる|たべられる})
- Group 3 (Irregular): {来る|くる} becomes {来られる|こられる}, {する} becomes {される}.
Overview
The Japanese passive voice, known as 受身形 (うけみけい), serves a distinct linguistic purpose often differing from its English counterpart. While English commonly employs the passive for formality, objectivity, or when the agent is unknown, Japanese predominantly utilizes it to emphasize the recipient or affected party of an action. This often introduces a nuance of personal impact, whether negative (suffering, inconvenience), positive (honor, benefit), or simply a shift in focus to the subject's experience.
Mastering this nuance is crucial for natural Japanese expression at the B1 level and beyond. The particle に (ni) is instrumental in this construction, specifically identifying the agent or doer of the action that affects the sentence's grammatical subject. It acts as a direct marker, pointing to the source of the action impacting the subject.
Understanding this emotional and experiential emphasis unlocks a deeper comprehension of Japanese sentence structure and speaker intent.
Conjugation Table
| Verb Group | Dictionary Form | Passive Stem Change | Passive Form (Casual) | Passive Form (Polite) | Past Passive Form (Casual) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| :----------- | :-------------- | :---------------------- | :-------------------- | :-------------------- | :------------------------- | ||||||
| Group 1 (U-verbs) | {書 | か}く (kaku) |
Change final -u to -a, add れる (rareru) |
{書 | か}かれる (kakareru) |
{書 | か}かれます (kakarimasu) |
{書 | か}かれた (kakareta) |
||
| {読 | よ}む (yomu) |
{読 | よ}まれる (yomareru) |
{読 | よ}まれます (yomaremasu) |
{読 | よ}まれた (yomareta) |
||||
| {話 | はな}す (hanasu) |
{話 | はな}される (hanasareru) |
{話 | はな}されます (hanasaremasu) |
{話 | はな}された (hanasareta) |
||||
| {待 | ま}つ (matsu) |
{待 | ま}たれる (matareru) |
{待 | ま}たれます (mataremasu) |
{待 | ま}たれた (matareta) |
||||
| {死 | し}ぬ (shinu) |
{死 | し}なれる (shinareru) |
{死 | し}なれます (shinaremasu) |
{死 | し}なれた (shinareta) |
||||
| Group 2 (Ru-verbs) | {食 | た}べる (taberu) |
Remove final -る, add られる (rareru) |
{食 | た}べられる (taberareru) |
{食 | た}べられます (taberaremasu) |
{食 | た}べられた (taberareta) |
||
| {見 | み}る (miru) |
{見 | み}られる (mirareru) |
{見 | み}られます (miraremasu) |
{見 | み}られた (mirureta) |
||||
| {褒 | ほ}める (homeru) |
{褒 | ほ}められる (homerareru) |
{褒 | ほ}められます (homeraremasu) |
{褒 | ほ}められた (homerareta) |
||||
| Irregular | する (suru) |
- | される (sareru) |
されます (saremasu) |
された (sareta) |
||||||
| {来 | く}る (kuru) |
- | {来 | こ}られる (korareru) |
{来 | こ}られます (koraremasu) |
{来 | こ}られた (korareta) |
|||
| *Note on {言 | い}う (iu): When the final -u is preceded by another vowel, like in {言 |
い}う, it usually changes to -wa + れる, not -a + れる.* {言 |
い}う (iu) → {言 |
い}われる (iwareru). |
|||||||
| *Note on {死 | し}ぬ (shinu): This is an exception in Group 1, as the passive form is {死 |
し}なれる and not {死 | し}られる.* Pitch accent for passive verbs usually remains consistent with the original verb, but specific patterns exist. For instance, for たべる (flat, LHH), the passive たべられる becomes たべられる (LHHLH, like a wave). |
How This Grammar Works
に explicitly marks the agent — the entity causing the action.が 私 を 褒めた。 (The manager praised me.)に.は 部長 に 褒められた。 (I was praised by the manager.)- 1Subject Shift: The direct object (
をparticle) of the active verb becomes the grammatical subject (は/がparticle) of the passive sentence. - 2Agent Marking: The original subject (
がparticle) of the active verb is now marked by the particleにin the passive sentence, designating it as the agent of the action. - 3Verb Conjugation: The active verb is conjugated into its
受身形(passive form).
に particle is crucial for identifying who or what caused that specific experience for the subject.Formation Pattern
受身形 (passive form), as detailed in the conjugation table. Once the passive verb is formed, it slots into the sentence structure.
は/が: The choice between は and が for the subject depends on typical topic/comment or new information/identifying subject distinctions. は is generally used when the affected subject is the topic of the conversation or known information, while が might introduce a new affected subject or emphasize it.
に: This particle always marks the agent — the person, animal, or natural force that performs the action on the subject. It is distinct from other uses of に (e.g., location, time, indirect object). Ensure this に is correctly identifying the doer of the action that affects the subject.
Passive Verb: The verb conjugated into its 受身形, matching the tense and politeness level required by the context.
が 犯人 を 逮捕した。(The police officer arrested the criminal.)
は 警察官 に 逮捕された。(The criminal was arrested by the police officer.)
犯人(はんにん) is the affected subject, 警察官(けいさつかん) is the agent marked by に, and 逮捕(たいほ)された is the passive verb. This construction is highly flexible and applies across various tenses and politeness levels, simply by further conjugating the passive verb form. Ensure you consistently apply the correct verb group rule to form the 受身形 accurately.
が 私 を 厳しく叱った。(My parents scolded me severely.)
は 両親 に 厳しく叱られた。(I was severely scolded by my parents.)
When To Use It
に, is employed in several key scenarios, each highlighting the perspective of the affected subject. Understanding these contexts is crucial for appropriate and natural usage.- 1Direct Passive (直接受身 -
ちょくせつうけみ): Actions Directly Affecting the Subject
- 私
は先生に褒められた。 (I was praised by the teacher.) - The impact is positive, focusing on the speaker's good feeling. - 友達
は見知らぬ男に突然 殴られた。 (My friend was suddenly hit by an unknown man.) - A clear negative personal impact. The sentence focuses on the friend's ordeal. - 彼
は課長に厳しく注意された。 (He was severely warned by the section chief.) - The focus is on his experience of being warned, implying discomfort or shame.
- 1Indirect Passive / "Suffering Passive" (迷惑の受身 -
めいわくのうけみ): Actions Indirectly Affecting the Subject, Often Negatively
に is responsible for this indirect impact.- 私
は友達に財布を盗まれた。 (My wallet was stolen by my friend, [and I suffered the inconvenience/loss].)
が 私 の 財布 を 盗んだ (My friend stole my wallet).- 私
は子どもに新しい洋服を汚された。 (My child dirtied my new clothes, [and I was bothered/inconvenienced].)
が 私 の 新しい洋服 を 汚した (My child dirtied my new clothes).- 雨
に降られて、洗濯物が濡れてしまった。 (It rained on me, and my laundry got wet.)
Passive Voice Conjugation Table
| Verb Type | Dictionary Form | Passive Form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Group 1
|
書く (kaku)
|
書かれる (kakareru)
|
手紙が書かれる
|
|
Group 1
|
話す (hanasu)
|
話される (hanasareru)
|
噂が話される
|
|
Group 2
|
食べる (taberu)
|
食べられる (taberareru)
|
ケーキが食べられる
|
|
Group 2
|
見る (miru)
|
見られる (mirareru)
|
映画が見られる
|
|
Irregular
|
する (suru)
|
される (sareru)
|
失敗がされる
|
|
Irregular
|
来る (kuru)
|
来られる (korareru)
|
来られる
|
Meanings
The passive voice indicates that the subject is the recipient of an action. In Japanese, it frequently carries a nuance of suffering or being inconvenienced by the action.
Direct Passive
Standard passive where the subject is the target of the action.
“{犯人|はんにん}は{警察|けいさつ}に{捕|つか}まった。”
“{手紙|てがみ}は{父|ちち}に{書|か}かれた。”
Indirect/Suffering Passive
Describes an event that happened to the subject, causing them trouble.
“{隣|となり}の{人|ひと}に{騒|さわ}がれた。”
“{子供|こども}に{泣|な}かれた。”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Verb(Passive) + です/ます
|
{褒|ほ}められます
|
|
Negative
|
Verb(Passive) + ません
|
{褒|ほ}められません
|
|
Past
|
Verb(Passive) + ました
|
{褒|ほ}められました
|
|
Past Negative
|
Verb(Passive) + ませんでした
|
{褒|ほ}められませんでした
|
|
Te-form
|
Verb(Passive) + て
|
{褒|ほ}められて
|
|
Short Form
|
Verb(Passive) + だ
|
{褒|ほ}められる
|
Formality Spectrum
{先生|せんせい}に{叱|しか}られました。 (School)
{先生|せんせい}に{叱|しか}られた。 (School)
{先生|せんせい}に{叱|しか}られたよ。 (School)
先生に怒られたわ。 (School)
Passive Voice Concept Map
Function
- 受難 Suffering
- 客観 Objectivity
Particles
- に Agent
- は Topic
Examples by Level
{犬|いぬ}に{噛|か}まれた。
I was bitten by a dog.
{名前|なまえ}を{呼|よ}ばれた。
My name was called.
{ケーキ}を{食|た}べられた。
My cake was eaten (by someone).
{先生|せんせい}に{褒|ほ}められた。
I was praised by the teacher.
{電車|でんしゃ}で{足|あし}を{踏|ふ}まれた。
My foot was stepped on in the train.
{母|はは}に{手紙|てがみ}を{読|よ}まれた。
My letter was read by my mother.
{会議|かいぎ}に{招待|しょうたい}された。
I was invited to the meeting.
{彼|かれ}に{待|ま}たされた。
I was made to wait by him.
{隣|となり}の{部屋|へや}の{人|ひと}に{騒|さわ}がれた。
I was bothered by the noise from the neighbor.
{雨|あめ}に{降|ふ}られて、{困|こま}った。
I was rained on and was troubled.
{犯人|はんにん}は{警察|けいさつ}に{捕|つか}まった。
The criminal was caught by the police.
{私|わたし}の{傘|かさ}が{使|つか}われた。
My umbrella was used (without permission).
{新|あたら}しい{法律|ほうりつ}が{国会|こっかい}で{可決|かけつ}された。
The new law was passed in the Diet.
{彼女|かのじょ}に{秘密|ひみつ}を{知|し}られてしまった。
My secret was found out by her (unfortunately).
{有名|ゆうめい}な{作家|さっか}によって{書|か}かれた。
It was written by a famous author.
{彼|かれ}に{先|さき}を{越|こ}された。
I was beaten to the punch by him.
{観客|かんきゃく}に{熱狂的|ねっきょうてき}に{迎|むか}えられた。
We were welcomed enthusiastically by the audience.
{長年|ながねん}の{努力|どりょく}が{報|むく}われた。
Years of effort were rewarded.
{彼|かれ}の{無礼|ぶれい}な{態度|たいど}に{腹|はら}を{立|た}てられた。
I was offended by his rude attitude.
{歴史|れきし}に{刻|きざ}まれる{出来事|できごと}だ。
It is an event that will be etched in history.
{古文|こぶん}の{中|なか}では、{受身|うけみ}の{助動詞|じょどうし}が{多用|たよう}される。
In classical Japanese, passive auxiliary verbs are frequently used.
{世間|せけん}から{厳|きび}しく{批判|ひはん}された。
It was severely criticized by the public.
{彼|かれ}の{才能|さいのう}は{誰|だれ}にも{否定|ひてい}できない。
His talent cannot be denied by anyone.
{不条理|ふじょうり}な{運命|うんめい}に{翻弄|ほんろう}された。
I was tossed about by absurd fate.
Easily Confused
Group 2 verbs look the same.
Common Mistakes
犬に噛んだ
犬に噛まれた
ケーキを食べた
ケーキを食べられた
先生に褒める
先生に褒められる
雨を降られた
雨に降られた
足を踏んだ
足を踏まれた
彼に待った
彼に待たされた
会議に招待した
会議に招待された
隣の人に騒ぐ
隣の人に騒がれる
秘密を知った
秘密を知られた
傘を使った
傘を使われた
運命を翻弄した
運命に翻弄された
批判した
批判された
否定できない
否定されない
Sentence Patterns
___に___された。
Real World Usage
足を踏まれた。
部長に怒られた。
写真が勝手に使われた。
犯人が捕まった。
ケーキを食べられた。
雨に降られた。
Watch the nuance
Smart Tips
Use the passive voice to express your frustration.
Pronunciation
Rer-u/Rar-eru
Ensure the 'r' sound is a light tap, not an English 'r'.
Falling
Sentence ends with a lower pitch.
Statement of fact.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of the passive as 'Being Rer-u-ed'. If you are 'reru-ed', something happened to you!
Visual Association
Imagine a cartoon character getting a pie thrown in their face. They are the 'victim' of the pie-throwing action.
Rhyme
Group 1 change to 'a', add 'reru' today; Group 2 drop 'ru', 'rareru' is the clue!
Story
Taro was walking. A dog bit him. Taro felt sad. He said, 'I was bitten by a dog.'
Word Web
Challenge
Write 3 sentences about things that annoyed you today using the passive voice.
Cultural Notes
The passive is a way to maintain harmony by focusing on the event rather than blaming the person directly.
Derived from classical Japanese auxiliary verbs.
Conversation Starters
最近、何か困ったことはありましたか？
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
犬に___(噛む).
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
足を踏んだ。
母が手紙を読んだ。
Passive voice is only for positive events.
A: ケーキは？ B: ___.
私 / に / 怒られた / 先生
Suru in passive?
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercises犬に___(噛む).
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
足を踏んだ。
母が手紙を読んだ。
Passive voice is only for positive events.
A: ケーキは？ B: ___.
私 / に / 怒られた / 先生
Suru in passive?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
6 exercises{友達|ともだち}に（{呼|よ}ぶ）___。
[{皆|みんな} / {笑|わら}われた / {私|わたし}は / に]
Translate: 'I was asked for directions by a tourist.'
Match the pairs:
It rained on me:
The thief had his money stolen? (Wait, I mean: I had my money stolen by the thief).
Score: /6
FAQ (8)
It highlights the subject's experience of the event.
Context is key, especially for Group 2 verbs.
It can be both formal and informal.
Rarely, usually to emphasize the action.
Use 'ni' for the agent.
Yes, very common.
Yes, 'suru' and 'kuru'.
Yes, it adds a subjective nuance.
Scaffolded Practice
1
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Pasiva refleja
Japanese passive has a 'suffering' nuance.
Voix passive
Japanese passive is more subjective.
Passiv
German is strictly objective.
受身
N/A
المبني للمجهول
Arabic passive is formal.
被字句
Chinese 'bei' is also used for negative events.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
Japanese Passive Form: U-Verbs (Ukemi-kei)
Overview The Japanese passive form, known as `Ukemi-kei` (`受身形`), allows you to describe an action as being performed...
Japanese Passive Form: ru-verbs (～られる)
Japanese Passive Form: ru-verbs (～られる) Overview The Japanese passive voice, or `ukemi` ({受身|うけみ}), is a gramma...
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