Japanese passive verbs: receiving an action

The idea

For godan verbs change the final u sound to its a-row equivalent and add れる: 読む→読まれる, 買う→買われる. For ichidan verbs replace る with られる: 食べる→食べられる. する→される and 来る→来られる. The affected person is marked は or が; the actor is often marked に. The passive verb conjugates like an ichidan verb, for example 読まれました.

Examples

• 私わたしは先生せんせいに褒ほめられました。I was praised by my teacher.
• 弟おとうとは友達ともだちに呼よばれました。My younger brother was called by a friend.
• 私わたしは犬いぬに手てを噛かまれました。I was bitten on the hand by a dog.
• 私わたしは弟おとうとにケーキを食たべられました。My younger brother ate my cake, to my dismay.
• この本ほんは多おおくの人ひとに読よまれています。This book is read by many people.
• 私わたしは昨日きのう、友達ともだちに質問しつもんされました。Yesterday a friend asked me a question.

Watch out

食べられる can also mean “can eat”; context distinguishes potential from passive. In an affected-possession sentence such as 弟にケーキを食べられた, the speaker is affected and を marks the cake; the sentence often conveys inconvenience.

Try it yourself

1. 「読よむ」→ ＿＿

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   読まれる

   読まれる — む changes to ま before れる.

2. 「食たべる」→ ＿＿

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   食べられる

   食べられる — Remove ichidan る and add られる.

3. 「する」→ ＿＿

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   される

   される — する has the irregular passive される.

4. 先生せんせい＿褒ほめられました。

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   に

   に — に marks the person who performed the action.

Use it today

Turn an active sentence into a passive sentence, identify the affected person and actor, and describe an event involving a possession.