Passive Form受身形
The passive form (受身形) is used when the subject is acted upon: "was eaten," "was seen," "was written." Japanese has two types: **direct passive** (like English) and **indirect passive** (the "suffering passive"), which has no English equivalent. The indirect passive expresses that someone was negatively affected by another person’s action, even if they weren’t the direct object.
The passive form (受身形) is used when the subject is acted upon: "was eaten," "was seen," "was written." Japanese has two types: **direct passive** (like English) and **indirect passive** (the "suffering passive"), which has no English equivalent. The indirect passive expresses that someone was negatively affected by another person’s action, even if they weren’t the direct object.
How to form the passive
The passive adds -(r)areru to the verb stem.
Godan: あ-row + れる
Change the final kana to the あ-row and add れる: 書く→書かれる (kakareru), 読む→読まれる (yomareru), 話す→話される (hanasareru), 待つ→待たれる (matareru), 買う→買われる (kawareru). Note: for う-ending verbs, the あ-row is わ: 買う→買われる.
Ichidan: stem + られる
Drop -ru and add -られる: 食べる→食べられる (taberareru), 見る→見られる (mirareru), 開ける→開けられる (akerareru). Yes, this is identical to the potential form — context determines the meaning.
Irregular
する→される (sareru). 来る→来られる (korareru). される is extremely common in formal/academic Japanese.
Direct passive — standard usage
The direct passive works like English passive voice. The object becomes the subject, and the original agent is marked with に: この本は村上春樹に書かれた (This book was written by Murakami Haruki). 彼女は先生に褒められた (She was praised by the teacher). Formal writing and news heavily use the direct passive: 新しい法律が発表された (A new law was announced).
Indirect (suffering) passive — unique to Japanese
This is the form that confuses learners most. In the indirect passive, the subject is negatively affected by someone else’s action, even if they weren’t the direct object of that action. The agent is marked with に.
Pattern
[Affected person] は [agent] に [action]＋受身. 私は雨に降られた (I was rained on — the rain affected me negatively). 私は隣の人にタバコを吸われた (I had the person next to me smoke — their smoking bothered me). 母に日記を読まれた (My diary was read by my mother — and I didn’t want that).
The nuance of suffering
The indirect passive always implies that the affected person is inconvenienced, annoyed, or harmed by the action. Even neutral actions become negative: 彼女に泣かれた doesn’t mean "she was cried at" but "she cried on me (and it was troublesome)." This nuance is automatic — you cannot use the indirect passive for positive experiences.
Agent marker に
In passive sentences, the person or thing performing the action is marked with に: 犬に噛まれた (I was bitten by the dog). In some cases, によって is used instead, especially in formal writing and when describing creation: この曲はベートーベンによって作曲された (This piece was composed by Beethoven). から is used when the action comes from an organization: 会社から解雇された (I was fired by the company).
Passive as honorific (尊敬語)
The passive form doubles as an honorific when referring to a superior’s actions: 先生は何を読まれますか (What will you read, sensei?). Here, 読まれる doesn’t mean "is read" but is respectful language for "will read." This usage is common in business Japanese. Context makes it clear: if the respected person is the subject doing the action, it’s honorific; if they’re being acted upon, it’s passive.
Passive form conjugation
| Verb | Group | Passive | Passive negative | Passive polite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 書く | Godan | 書かれる | 書かれない | 書かれます |
| 読む | Godan | 読まれる | 読まれない | 読まれます |
| 話す | Godan | 話される | 話されない | 話されます |
| 待つ | Godan | 待たれる | 待たれない | 待たれます |
| 買う | Godan | 買われる | 買われない | 買われます |
| 食べる | Ichidan | 食べられる | 食べられない | 食べられます |
| 見る | Ichidan | 見られる | 見られない | 見られます |
| する | Irreg. | される | されない | されます |
| 来る | Irreg. | 来られる (korareru) | 来られない | 来られます |
Example sentences
この小説は100年前に書かれた。
Kono shousetsu wa hyakunen mae ni kakareta.
This novel was written 100 years ago.
Direct passive — standard usage
電車で足を踏まれた。
Densha de ashi o fumareta.
Someone stepped on my foot on the train.
Indirect (suffering) passive
雨に降られて、びしょ濡れになった。
Ame ni furarete, bisho nure ni natta.
I got rained on and was soaking wet.
Indirect passive — rain as agent
母に日記を読まれた。
Haha ni nikki o yomareta.
My mother read my diary (and I’m upset about it).
Indirect passive — unwanted reading
先生に褒められて嬉しかった。
Sensei ni homerarete ureshikatta.
I was happy to be praised by my teacher.
Direct passive — positive context
社長は何と言われましたか。
Shachou wa nan to iwaremashita ka.
What did the president say?
Passive used as honorific (尊敬語)
Common mistakes
私は友達が本を盗まれた
私は友達に本を盗まれた
The agent in passive sentences is marked with に, not が. The friend (agent who stole) takes に: 友達に本を盗まれた.
Using indirect passive for positive events: 彼に花を買われた (meaning "he bought flowers for me — great!")
彼に花を買ってもらった
The indirect passive inherently implies negative impact. "He bought flowers" as passive = annoyed. For positive receiving, use ～てもらう: 買ってもらった.
食べられる always = passive
食べられる can be passive OR potential
食べられる is ambiguous: "can eat" (potential) or "is eaten" (passive). Context resolves it. This is why ら抜き (食べれる for potential) is gaining popularity — it eliminates ambiguity.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell if ～られる is passive, potential, or honorific?
Look at the subject. If the subject is acted upon by someone (に agent), it’s passive: 先生に叱られた (scolded by teacher). If the subject has an ability, it’s potential: 辛い物が食べられる (can eat spicy food). If the subject is a respected person doing the action, it’s honorific: 先生が来られた (the teacher came — respectful).
Is the indirect passive truly unique to Japanese?
Yes. English has no equivalent. "I was rained on" exists in English but doesn’t carry the same grammatical structure or automatic suffering nuance. The Japanese indirect passive can make ANY action into a complaint: 隣の人に歌を歌われた (the person next to me sang — and it annoyed me). This doesn’t translate naturally into English passive.
When should I use によって vs に for the agent?
Use に for most sentences: 犬に噛まれた (bitten by a dog). Use によって in formal/academic writing and for creative attribution: この曲はモーツァルトによって作曲された (composed by Mozart). Use から for organizations: 政府から発表された (announced by the government).
What group does 走る belong to?