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passive voice
Definition
The grammar pattern ～られる is used to express the passive voice, where the subject receives an action from another person. It often conveys a sense of being bothered or affected by the action. For example, when someone is bothered by the noise, they might say "音が聞こえます" (The sound is heard). This pattern is commonly used in situations where the agent performing the action is not specified or is not important. In the case of Godan verbs, the final 'u' is changed to 'a' and 'reru' is added (e.g., kaku -> kakareru), while for Ichidan verbs, 'ru' is replaced with 'rareru' (e.g., taberu -> taberareru).
Structure
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Godan verb | Verb stem + か + ら + れる | 書く (kaku) -> 書かれます (kakarimasu) |
| Ichidan verb | Verb stem + ら + れる | 食べる (taberu) -> 食べられます (taberaremasu) |
| Irregular verb | Special verb form + ら + れる | 見る (miru) -> 見られます (miraremasu) |
Examples
電車の中で、隣の人に足を洗ってもらいます。
densha no naka de, rin no hito ni ashi o arawamashou.
You can wash your feet in the train.
電車の中で (in the train), 隣の人 (the person next to you), に (to), 足を (your feet), 洗ってもらいます (to be washed)
帰る途中で雨に濡れ、服が濡れてしまった。
kaeru michi de ame ni nure, fuku ga nurete shimatta.
On the way back, I got wet in the rain and my clothes got wet.
帰る途中 (on the way back), で (in), 雨に (in the rain), 濡れ (got wet), 服が (your clothes), 濡れて (got wet), しまった (happened)
この本は、世界中の人に読まれます。
kono hon wa, sekai chū no hito ni yomarimasu.
This book is read by people all over the world.
この本 (this book), は (is), 世界中の人 (people all over the world), に (to), 読まれます (to be read)
Context
The passive voice is used to emphasize the effect of the action on the subject rather than the agent performing the action. It is commonly used in situations where the agent is not specified or is not important. In formal writing and speaking, the passive voice is often used to convey a sense of politeness or to avoid blame.
Watch out
For example, "電車の中で、隣の人に足を洗ってもらいます" (You can wash your feet in the train) uses 'ni' to indicate the recipient of the action, while "電車の中で、隣の人に足を渡します" (You can pass your feet to the person next to you) uses 'o' to indicate the direct object.
For example, "食べられます" (can be eaten) is the potential form, while "食べられました" (was eaten) is the passive form.
For example, "私は雨に濡れました" (I got wet in the rain) uses the active voice, while "私は雨に濡れさせられました" (I was made to get wet in the rain) uses the passive voice.
Strategy
When using the passive voice in the JLPT exam, pay attention to the context and the verb form used. Make sure to use the correct form for the verb and the correct particle to indicate the recipient of the action.
In context
Worked examples drawn from JLPT N4 test-style questions. Each sentence shows ～られる used correctly, with a brief note on what the pattern is doing.
電車の中で、隣の人に足を踏まれました。
Pattern used: 踏まれました
The speaker is the victim of the action, so the passive form 'fumareta' is used.
帰る途中で雨に降られて、服が濡れてしまった。
Pattern used: 降られて
The 'suffering passive' (meiwaku no ukemi) is used here because the rain caused trouble for the speaker.
この本は、世界中の人に読まれています。
Pattern used: 読まれて
When the subject is an object (this book), the passive voice 'yomarete iru' expresses that people read it.
Interactive
電車の中で、隣の人に足を______。
Adaptive practice
Our adaptive engine will quiz you on this grammar pattern and track your progress toward mastery.