N4 · Passive and causative
The passive
the passive with れる and られる
A new ending on the verb, the doer marked with に, and the person or thing affected as the topic.
The passive is built on the verb itself. A group 1 verb changes its final -u to the -a sound and adds れる: 書く becomes 書かれる, 読む becomes 読まれる. A verb ending in う takes わ, not あ: 言う, 言われる. A group 2 verb replaces る with られる: 食べられる, 見られる. The two irregular verbs become される and 来られる.
Whatever verb you started from, the result is a group 2 verb and conjugates like one: 書かれます, 書かれた, 書かれない, 書かれて. You only ever learn one new step.
In the sentence, the person or thing the action happens to becomes the topic or subject, and the one who does it is marked with に: 弟は先生に褒められました, "my brother was praised by the teacher". When somebody creates something — a building, a book, a design — formal Japanese marks the maker with によって instead.
English speakers tend to use the Japanese passive where English would, and that is often too much. "The door was opened" is usually ドアが開いた, with an intransitive verb, not a passive; "I was given a book" is 本をもらった. Japanese reaches for the passive when somebody was affected by what another person did — or in news and formal writing, for events and facts with no particular doer: 会議は三時から行われます.
The form
stem (regular) stem (irregular) ending
| write → be written (group 1) | 書かれる |
| read → be read (group 1) | 読まれる |
| say → be said (う becomes わ) | 言われる |
| call → be called | 呼ばれる |
| eat → be eaten (group 2) | 食べられる |
| see → be seen (group 2) | 見られる |
| do → be done (irregular) | される |
| come → (irregular) | 来られる |
| polite | 書かれます |
| past | 書かれた |
| negative | 書かれない |
| te-form | 書かれて |
The rules one by one
Group 1 verbs change the final -u to the -a sound and add れる; a verb ending in う takes わ.
この言葉は若い人によく使われます。This word is used a lot by young people.
Group 2 verbs replace る with られる; する becomes される and 来る becomes 来られる.
みんなに見られて、恥ずかしかったです。Everybody was looking at me, and I was embarrassed.
The one affected is the topic or subject; the one who acts is marked with に.
弟は先生に叱られました。My younger brother was told off by the teacher.
The passive is a group 2 verb and takes ます, た, ない and て like any other.
駅で知らない人に道を聞かれました。A stranger asked me the way at the station.
For the maker of a building, a book or an invention, formal Japanese uses によって instead of に.
この橋は有名な建築家によって設計されました。This bridge was designed by a famous architect.
A closer look
It is said, it is thought
News reports, essays and formal speech use the passive of verbs of saying and thinking to state something without naming who holds the view: 〜と言われている, "it is said that", and 〜と考えられている, "it is thought that". Nobody in particular is speaking — the opinion is presented as generally held.
This is the one place where the passive with no doer and no affected person is completely at home. In ordinary conversation the same idea is more often put as 〜らしい or 〜そうだ, which say where the information came from rather than hiding it.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the verb is a group 2 verb
the passive looks exactly like the potential form: 食べられる can mean "be eaten" or "can eat".
猫に魚を食べられました。The cat ate my fish.
Both forms grew from the same old ending. The particles decide: を or が with a thing you can eat points to the potential, に with a doer points to the passive.
How to spot it
- 〜れる
- 〜られる
- される
- に
- によって
- 〜と言われている
Example sentences
子供のころ、よく母に褒められました。When I was a child, I was often praised by my mother.
この歌は世界中で歌われています。This song is sung all over the world.
田中さんは部長に呼ばれて、会議室に行きました。Mr Tanaka was called by the manager and went to the meeting room.
次のオリンピックはどこで開かれますか。Where will the next Olympics be held?
この寺は六百年前に建てられました。This temple was built six hundred years ago.
この小説は多くの言語に翻訳されています。This novel has been translated into many languages.
7 more example sentences
知らない人に話しかけられました。A stranger started talking to me.
試験は来週の月曜日に行われます。The exam will be held next Monday.
パーティーに招待されて、とてもうれしかったです。I was invited to the party and was very pleased.
この店のケーキは雑誌で紹介されました。This shop's cakes were featured in a magazine.
会議で意見を聞かれましたが、何も言えませんでした。I was asked for my opinion at the meeting, but I could not say anything.
日本の車は多くの国に輸出されています。Japanese cars are exported to many countries.
子供のころ、兄によくからかわれました。When I was little, my older brother often teased me.
Worth knowing (1)
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One ending, four jobs
The ending られる is the passive, but it is also the potential of group 2 verbs, a light honorific (先生が来られました, "the teacher came"), and a "spontaneous" form for feelings that arise by themselves (思い出される). The particles and the situation tell you which one you are looking at; the form alone does not.
社長は何時ごろ戻られますか。What time will the president be back?
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
In a passive sentence the doer is no longer the subject, so it cannot keep が. It moves to に, and は or が goes to the person it happened to. With が on the teacher, the sentence has two subjects and no doer.
The one affected comes first, the doer takes に, and the verb ends in られる.
Your turn
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