Japatan
Formation
- Iグループ: Vない形 + れる(書か + れる → 書かれる)
- IIグループ: Vない形 + られる(食べ + られる → 食べられる)
- IIIグループ: する → される、来る → 来られる
Explanation
The passive makes the person or thing receiving an action the subject; the doer is usually marked with に. Three main uses: (1) someone directly receives an action (be praised by the teacher); (2) the 'suffering' passive, showing you were troubled by something (have your foot stepped on, get caught in the rain); (3) stating facts with a thing as the subject (this temple was built long ago).
Examples
テストで 百点を とって、先生に ほめられました。
I got 100 points on the test and was praised by my teacher.
電車の 中で だれかに 足を 踏まれました。
Someone stepped on my foot on the train.
帰る とき 雨に 降られて、服が ぬれて しまいました。
I got caught in the rain on the way home, and my clothes got wet.
この お寺は 三百年前に 建てられました。
This temple was built three hundred years ago.
Notes
In the suffering passive, the person is the subject, not their body part or belongings: 私は足を踏まれました, not 私の足が踏まれました. For group II verbs the passive looks the same as the potential (食べられる), so use context.
Related grammar
Mini quiz
1楽しみに して いた ケーキを 弟に（ ）、とても 残念です。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 1 食べられて
My little brother ate the cake I was looking forward to, which is a shame. This is the suffering passive: 弟に食べられて. With 弟に, the forms with くれる, あげる or plain 食べた do not fit.
2この 歌は 世界中の 人に（ ）います。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 4 歌われて
This song is sung by people all over the world. The subject is the song and the singers are marked with に, so the passive 歌われています is needed. A song cannot sing, so 歌って, 歌えて and 歌ってくれて are wrong.
3朝 早く 友だちに 電話で（ ）、目が 覚めました。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 2 起こされて
I was woken up early in the morning by a phone call from a friend. The friend woke me, so from my side it is the passive 起こされて. The other forms do not fit with 友だちに.
