In Japanese, the passive form of a verb will always end with -areru (〜れる) or -rareu (〜られる). Like English passive verbs, these can be used to create a sentence where something is done to the subject. However, Japanese passive verbs also have some additional uses that we don’t find in English.
In this post, we’ll first go over how to form Japanese passive verbs, then we’ll talk about their use in the three main types of passive sentences:
| Type of passive | Description | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
Direct passive | Equivalent to the English passive voice: something is done to the subject | He was praised. |
Indirect Passive | The subject was indirectly harmed by an action | To the detective’s annoyance, the criminal escaped. |
Possessive Passive | A possessor was harmed or benefitted by an action that affects their possession | She had her purse stolen by a criminal. |
English speakers often find these last two types tricky, because we don’t usually use passive verbs this way in English, but we’ll try to break it down to keep things easy! Let’s get started!
How to form passive verbs in Japanese?
The plain passive form of a Japanese verb will usually be formed by replacing the ending of the dictionary form with -areru or -rareru.
Verb stem
The exact way you form a passive verb will depend on which verb group it belongs to: is it a u-verb or a ru-verb. Notice how the dictionary form’s ending is replaced by the passive ending!
| Verb group | Passive ending | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
u-verb | -areru | 書く Transcription: kaku Translation: to write | 書かれる Transcription: kakareru Translation: to be written |
ru-verb | -rareru | 食べる Transcription: taberu Translation: to eat | 食べれる Transcription: taberareru Translation: to be eaten |
見る Transcription: miru Translation: to look, see | 見られる Transcription: mirareru Translation: to be seen | ||
Irregular passive verbs
As mentioned above, a few passive verbs have irregular forms. Let’s just memorize them!
| Dictionary form | Passive form |
|---|---|
来る Transcription: kuru Translation: to come | 来られる Transcription: korareru Translation: to be arrived |
する Transcription: suru Translation: to do | される Transcription: sareru Translation: to be done |
You’ll need these for any more complex verb that ends in 来る or する as well, for example:
| Dictionary form | Passive form |
|---|---|
連れてくる Transcription: tsurete kuru Translation: to bring (a person/animal) | 連れてこられる Transcription: tsurete korareru Translation: to be brought |
する Transcription: suru Translation: to do | 案内される Transcription: an’nai sareru Translation: to be shown around |
How to conjugate passive verbs in Japanese?
All Japanese passive verbs are conjugated like ru-verbs. This means that, once you create the passive verb using the rules above, you can put it into other forms by replacing the る transcribed ru with the appropriate ending for a ru-verb. For example:
| Dictionary form | 書く transcribed kakumeaning to write | |
|---|---|---|
| Passive forms | Plain | 書かれる transcribed kakareru |
| Negative plain | 書かれない transcribed kakarenai | |
| Polite | 書かれません transcribed kakaremasu | |
| Negative Polite | 書かれません transcribed kakaremasen | |
| Te-form | 書かれて transcribed kakarete | |
What are the types of passive sentences in Japanese?
The major types of Japanese sentences that use passive verbs are:
直接受身 transcribed chokusetsu ukemi or the direct passive.
間接受身 transcribed kansetsu ukemi or the indirect passive.
持ち主の受身 transcribed mochinushi no ukemi or the possessive passive, is actually a type of indirect passive, but it has some special features.
The direct passive: 直接受身 [chokusetsu ukemi]
Japanese direct passive sentences are very similar to English passive sentences in structure. Here are the features of sentences like this:
The noun that undergoes the action is the subject. Like other subjects in Japanese, it is followed by が transcribed ga or は transcribed ni.
The “doer” or agent of the action is usually followed by the particle に transcribed ni, though there are some rare cases where you will use から transcribed kara or によって transcribed ni yotte instead.
As you can see from the example below, this is quite similar to the structure of a passive sentence in English, so they’re easy to translate!
Undergoer (subject) + が / は
Doer (agent) + に
Passive verb
Notice the differences in the word order and particles used in a passive sentence and its active equivalent:
In some active sentences, the receiver (or target) of the action is marked に transcribed ni rather than not by を transcribed o. Such a sentence can still be converted to a direct passive sentence using the same formula we saw above.
As you can see from the translations above, the direct passive and its active equivalent have the same meaning. There is a bit of a change in emphasis or perspective, but the underlying meaning doesn’t change. That’s why the direct passive is called 中立受身 transcribed chūritsu ukemi or “neutral passive.”
に [ni] or から [kara]: How to mark the “doer” of a direct passive?
In direct passive sentences, the doer of action is generally marked by に transcribed ni. However, other particles are also used in some situations:
When the action doesn’t involve a direct contact between the doer and the receiver, you can use either に transcribed ni or から transcribed karameaning from to mark the doer:
✅ジョンは先生に / からほめられた。Transcription: Jon wa sensei ni / kara homerareta.Translation: John was praised by his teacher.When the action is a verb of transfer (like “send”), you should always mark the doer with から transcribed kara. This is because most verbs that express that something is transferred to someone mark the recipient of the object with に transcribed ni, so using から transcribed kara for the doer helps avoid confusion.
- doerrecipient of objectActive:ジョンがケリーにバトンを渡した。Transcription: Jon ga kerii ni baton o watashita.Translation: John handed the baton to Kelly.Passive:バトンが ジョンからケリーに渡された。Transcription: Baton ga Jon kara Kerii ni watasareta.Translation: The baton was handed to Kelly by John.We can tell that John was the doer.
- Incorrect Passive:❌ バトンがジョンにケリーに渡された。Transcription: Baton ga Jon ni Kerii ni watasareta.Here, we cannot tell who gave the baton and who received the baton, since both are marked by に!
When a verb indicates production, invention, or discovery, use によって transcribed ni yotte instead of に to mark the person who produced, invented, or discovered something.
『モナ・リザ』はレオナルド・ダ・ヴィンチによって描かれた。Transcription: “Mona Riza” wa Reonarudo da Vinchi ni yotte kakareta.Translation: Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.
The indirect passive: 間接受身 [kansetsu ukemi]
The indirect passive in Japanese also uses the passive form of a verb, but it is otherwise quite different in meaning from the English passive.
In Japanese, when someone is indirectly affected by someone else’s action, it's usually because the action annoys or harms them. That’s why the indirect passive is often called 迷惑受身 transcribed meiwaku ukemimeaning adversative passive or 被害受身 transcribed higai ukemimeaning suffering passive.
Here are the features of an indirect passive sentence:
The sufferer is the subject of the sentence, usually marked by は transcribed wa.
The “doer” or “agent” of the action is marked by the particle に transcribed ni , just like in the direct passive!
The direct object of the verb remains the direct object of the verb, marked by the particle を transcribed o.
Have a look at this example:
sufferer + は transcribed wa
(subject)
doer + に transcribed ni
(agent)
undergoer + を transcribed o
(direct object)
passive verb
Japanese indirect passive vs. direct passive
Let’s compare a sentence in the active voice, in the direct passive, and in the indirect passive, so that you can see the differences.
| Active (X verbs Y) | doerundergoeractive verb phrase 隣人がドラムセットを 購入した。 Transcription: Rinjin ga doramu setto o kōnyū shita. Translation: My next-door neighbor purchased a drum set. |
|---|---|
| Direct Passive (Y is verbed by X) | undergoerdoerpassive verb phrase ドラムセットが隣人に購入された。 Transcription: Doramu setto ga rinjin ni kōnyū sareta. Translation: A drum set was purchased by my next-door neighbor. |
| Indirect Passive (To Z’s annoyance, ...) | suffererdoerundergoerpassive verb phrase 私は隣人にドラムセットを購入された。 Transcription: Watashi wa rinjin ni doramu setto o kōnyū sasreta Translation: To my annoyance, my next-door neighbor purchased a drum set. |
Intransitive verbs in the indirect passive
Unlike a direct passive, an indirect passive sentence does not always have a direct object. In some cases, these sentences will include a “sufferer” and a “doer” but no “undergoer”. This means that you can use this sentence structure when someone is negatively affected by an intransitive verb.
The formula is the same as the one we saw above, except you don’t use a direct object.
sufferer + は transcribed wa
(subject)
doer + に transcribed ni
(agent)
passive verb
However, though intransitive verbs can often be used to form indirect passives, the verb must still be something that someone does on purpose. Therefore, there are some types of verbs that are not used in this sentence structure. These include:
The potential form of verbs:
- できるTranscription: dekiruTranslation: to be able to do
- 書けるTranscription: kakeruTranslation: to be able to write
Verbs that indicate accidental or uncontrolled actions:
- 見えるTranscription: mieruTranslation: to be visible
- 聞こえるTranscription: kikoeruTranslation: to be audible
- 閉まるTranscription: shimaruTranslation: to close
Non-volitional verbs (verbs for actions that nobody “does”):
- あるTranscription: aruTranslation: to exist
- 要るTranscription: iruTranslation: to need
Verbs that already have passive meaning:
- 教わるTranscription: osowaruTranslation: to receive instructions
- 見つかるTranscription: mitsukaruTranslation: to be found
The possessive passive: 持ち主の受身 [mochinushi no ukemi]
The possessive passive, or “owner’s passive,” is a special type of indirect passive in which a possession of the subject is directly affected by the verb. This can be any kind of possession — a part of the subject’s body (e.g. “her arm”), something they own (e.g. “her bag”), or a person they’re close to (e.g. “her mom”).
When you use this type of passive, the possessor is secondarily affected by the action, experiencing some harm or benefit. The possessive passive is similar to the English structure such as “I had my bag stolen by a thief.” Let’s see how it works!
Possessive Passive:
Possessor + は
(experiencer; subject)
Doer + に
Object + を
Passive verb
Compare the sentences above with the active structure, where the possessor and the possessed thing are used together, separated only by the particle の transcribed no.
Active Sentence:
Subject + が/ は
(doer)
Object & Possessor + を
Active verb
When to use the possessive passive vs. direct passive?
It is often possible to use either the possessive passive or the direct passive to describe the same situation. In cases like this, the only difference is that when you use the possessive passive you’re implying that the possessor was also affected by the action.
For example, compare these two sentences:
- Possessive passive:possessorobjectアンは先生に息子を叱られた。Transcription: An wa sensei ni musuko o shikarareta.Translation: Anne had (her) son scolded by the teacher.Anne has been affected by the situation, probably she feels bad or angry. She didn't order the teacher to do this.
- Direct passive:possessor & possessedアンの息子が先生に叱られた。Transcription: An no musuko ga sensei ni shikarareta.Translation: Anne’s son was scolded by the teacher.We don’t know whether Anne has any feelings about this. Maybe she feels bad, maybe she is happy, maybe she doesn’t even know about the situation yet.
Usually, if it’s transparently a situation where the possessor must have been affected, like when part of your body is hurt, native Japanese speakers will prefer to use the possessive passive. In situations like this, the direct passive may sound very odd or even incorrect. For example:
- Possessive passive:possessor (subject)possessed object健太は猫に手をひっかかれた。Transcription: Kenta wa neko nite o hikkakaretaTranslation: Kenta had a hand scratched by a cat.
- Direct passive:object & possessor (subject)❌ 健太の手が 猫にひっかかれた。Transcription: Kenta no te ga neko ni hikkakareta.Translation: Kenta’s hand was scratched by the cat.
But if you want to leave open the possibility that the possessor was completely unaffected, you might prefer to use the direct passive instead.
Positive feelings: Using the possessive passive to convey a benefit
Though the default assumption of a possessive passive may be that the possessor was negatively affected by the action, experience is not always negative. If the verb describes a positive situation, the subject may benefit from the action instead. For example:
This is an important difference between the plain indirect passive, which is only used in a situation where the subject is harmed or annoyed, and the possessive passive. Though the structure is the same, the implications are somewhat different!
When to use the passive voice vs. active voice in Japanese?
In Japanese, the passive structure is often preferred because of its indirectness. Overusing it, however, can be a problem. Here are some situations in which the use of the passive voice, rather than the active, is recommended!
To focus on the point of view of the receiver of action:
- Passive:ジョンが馬にけられた。Transcription: Jon ga uma ni kerareta.Translation: John was kicked by the horse.Sympathetic to John.
- Active:馬がジョンをけった。Transcription: Uma ga Jon o ketta.Translation: The horse kicked John.Less sympathetic to John.
To keep the same subject across multiple clauses in a sentence:
- Passive:馬にけられて、ジョンは痛そうだった。Transcription: Uma ni kerarete, jon wa itasō datta.Translation: John, who was kicked by the horse, seemed to be in pain.
- Active:❌ 馬がジョンをけって、ジョンは痛そうだった。Transcription: Uma ga jon o kette, jon wa itasō datta.Translation: John, who the horse kicked John, seemed to be in pain.This is ungrammatical in Japanese!
When the “doer” is someone vague, unfamiliar, or unimportant:
- Passive:✅ (私は) 知らない人にあいさつされた。Transcription: (Watashi wa) shiranai hito ni aisatsu sareta.Translation: I was greeted by a stranger.I would recognize the stranger, but the person I’m talking to probably wouldn’t.
- Active:🆗 知らない人が私にあいさつした。Transcription: Shiranai hito ga watashi ni aisatsu shita.Translation: A stranger greeted me.While this is acceptable, it’s not how most people would phrase it.
To avoid mentioning a particular speaker:
The passive form is sometimes used to frame a quotation when the writer or speaker wants to avoid naming the source or wants to present the information as common knowledge.
Passive:コーヒーは体によくないと言われている。Transcription: Kōhii wa karada ni yoku nai to iwarete iru.Translation: It is said that coffee is not good for your health.Some common phrases used to do this include:
- 〜と言われているTranscription: ...to iwarete iruTranslation: it is said that…
- 〜と思われているTranscription: ...to omowarete iruTranslation: it is thought that…
- 〜と考えられているTranscription: ...to kangaerarete iruTranslation: it is considered that…
When the doer completely unknown:
Passive:この橋は何百年も前にかけられた。Transcription: Kono hashi wa nanbyaku nen mo mae ni kakerareta.Translation: This bridge was built hundreds of years ago.When the verb doesn’t have the active form or its active form has a different meaning:
Some Japanese verbs have no active form or the passive form has a special meaning as in うなされる transcribed unasarerumeaning to be disturbed by nightmare, and in other cases the passive form has an idiomatic meaning, as in 足を取られる transcribed ashi o torarerumeaning to lose one’s balance.
Passive:ぬかるみに足を取られて転んだ。Transcription: Nukarumi ni ashi o torarete koronda.Translation: I lost my balance in the mud and fell down.
To sum up
In this post, we introduced you to passive verbs and sentences in Japanese. Here are the main points to remember:
The plain form of a passive verb is formed by adding -areru or -rareru to the verb stem. This can then be conjugated like any other ru-verb.
Passive verbs can be used in 2 main types of sentences:
The direct passive → parallel to the English passive.
The indirect passive → used when someone is indirectly affected by an action, usually in a negative way.
Here’s a quick review of the differences between active sentences and the different types of Japanese passives:
| Type of sentence | Subject | “Doer” marked by | “Undergoer” marked by | Connotation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Doer | は / が | を / に | neutral |
| Direct passive | Undergoer | に sometimes から or 〜によって | は / が | neutral |
| Indirect passive | Undergoer | に | を / に | negative |
| Possessive passive | Possessor and Experiencer | に | を / に | negative, or positive with context |
Now it’s time to test your skills with these Japanese passive verb activities! Happy learning!
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