The passive voice in Japanese (受身形 - ukemikei) works differently from English. It's not just about shifting focus—it often expresses that something happened to the speaker, sometimes negatively. This guide covers both direct and indirect passive constructions.

How to Form the Passive(受身形の作り方)

The passive is formed by changing the verb ending:

Verb Type	Rule	Example
Godan	Change う to あれる	書く → 書かれる
Ichidan	Drop る, add られる	食べる → 食べられる
する	される	勉強する → 勉強される
くる	こられる	くる → こられる

Direct Passive(直接受身)

The direct passive is similar to English passive voice. The object becomes the subject:

Active: 先生が学生を褒めた (The teacher praised the student)

Passive: 学生が先生に褒められた (The student was praised by the teacher)

この本は多くの人に読まれています。

このほんはおおくのひとによまれています。

kono hon wa ooku no hito ni yomareteimasu.

This book is read by many people.

Indirect Passive (Suffering Passive)(間接受身・迷惑の受身)

Japanese has a unique "suffering passive" that expresses that you were negatively affected by someone's action:

電車で隣の人にたばこを吸われた。

でんしゃでとなりのひとにたばこをすわれた。

densha de tonari no hito ni tabako wo suwareta.

The person next to me smoked on the train (and I was bothered by it).

The suffering passive is very common in Japanese. It emphasizes that you were inconvenienced or affected negatively by someone else's action.

Natural Events Passive(自然現象の受身)

The passive is also used when natural events affect someone:

雨に降られて、濡れてしまった。

あめにふられて、ぬれてしまった。

ame ni furarete, nurete shimatta.

I got rained on and got wet.

Passive vs. Potential Form(受身形と可能形)

For ichidan verbs, the passive (られる) looks identical to the potential form (られる). Context usually makes the meaning clear:

食べられる (can eat) vs 食べられる (was eaten)

In casual speech, the potential form of ichidan verbs is often shortened to れる (食べれる). The passive is never shortened.

✓Summary

The Japanese passive:

Often implies being affected (positively or negatively)
Godan: う → あれる
Ichidan: る → られる
Includes unique "suffering passive" for negative experiences

Japanese Passive Voice: 受身形

How to Form the Passive(受身形の作り方)

Direct Passive(直接受身)

Indirect Passive (Suffering Passive)(間接受身・迷惑の受身)

Natural Events Passive(自然現象の受身)

Passive vs. Potential Form(受身形と可能形)

✓Summary

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