「れる/られる」- Passive Voice

Explanation

The passive voice in Japanese is used to indicate that an action is being done to the subject by someone or something else. It essentially means "to be (done)" in English.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
Verb Stem + 〜れる/られる	Godan Verbs + れる Ichidan Verbs + られる Suru Verbs + される Kuru Verb + 来られる	〜れる/られる is the passive form in Japanese, used to describe an action being done to the subject by someone or something else, meaning "to be (done)."

Basic Usage

The passive voice is mainly used to express that an action is being done to the subject by someone else. The common sentence structure is:

• X は Y に V（ら）れる

In this structure, X is the receiver of the action, Y is the doer of the action, and V is the verb in its passive form.

Examples

• 私わたしは先生せんせいに叱しかられた。
• Watashi wa sensei ni shikarareta.
• I was scolded by the teacher.
  

• 犬いぬに足あしを噛かまれました。
• Inu ni ashi o kamaremashita.
• I was bitten on the leg by a dog.
  

• 彼かれは友達ともだちに助たすけられた。
• Kare wa tomodachi ni tasukerareta.
• He was helped by his friend.
  

• 田中たなかさんは会議かいぎに遅おくれてしまい、社長しゃちょうに注意ちゅういされました。
• Tanaka-san wa kaigi ni okurete shimai, shachou ni chuui saremashita.
• Mr. Tanaka was late for the meeting and was warned by the president.
  

Deep Dive

The passive form is often used to describe situations where someone passively receives help or intervention from others. For example: 彼かれは先生せんせいに褒ほめられました (He was praised by the teacher). It can also describe situations where someone is forced to do something, such as: 私わたしは母ははに宿題しゅくだいをさせられました (I was made to do my homework by my mother).

Real-Life Scenarios

Common scenarios in conversation:

• Conversation 1:

  • A: 昨日きのう、何なにかあったの？
    A: Kinou, nani ka atta no?
    A: Did something happen yesterday?
  • B: 昨日きのう、上司じょうしに怒おこられました。
    B: Kinou, joushi ni okoraremashita.
    B: I was scolded by my boss yesterday.
  • A: 真まっ？！どうして？
    A: Ma?! Doushite?
    A: Really?! Why?
  • B: ちょっとミスみすをしてしまって......
    B: Chotto misu o shite shimatte......
    B: I made a small mistake......

• Conversation 2:

  • A: 田中たなかさん、どうしたの？
    A: Tanaka-san, doushita no?
    A: Mr. Tanaka, what happened?
  • B: 犬いぬに手てを噛かまれました。
    B: Inu ni te o kamaremashita.
    B: I was bitten on the hand by a dog.
  • A: 大丈夫だいじょうぶ？
    A: Daijoubu?
    A: Are you okay?
  • B: 痛いたかったけど、もう大丈夫だいじょうぶです。
    B: Itakatta kedo, mou daijoubu desu.
    B: It hurt, but I'm fine now.

Summary

The passive form 〜れる/られる is a crucial grammar point in Japanese, used to describe actions being done to the subject by someone or something else. Mastering the basic connections and sentence structures, along with practical examples, will help you understand and use this grammar point effectively in conversations.