JLPT N3 reference · Voice and transitivity
Passive form
The passive can foreground a patient, report an event impersonally, or express that someone was adversely affected.
Core meaning and form
Ichidan verbs add られる; godan verbs move to the a-row + れる; する → される and 来る → 来られる. The affected-person passive has no exact English structural equivalent and must be interpreted through viewpoint.
- Form: Ichidan verbs add られる; godan verbs move to the a-row + れる; する → される and 来る → 来られる.
- Core use: The passive can foreground a patient, report an event impersonally, or express that someone was adversely affected.
- Context: The affected-person passive has no exact English structural equivalent and must be interpreted through viewpoint.
Examples in context
この寺は五百年前に建てられました。Kono tera wa gohyaku-nen mae ni tateraremashita.This temple was built five hundred years ago.
私は先生に褒められました。Watashi wa sensei ni homeraremashita.I was praised by the teacher.
弟にケーキを食べられた。Otōto ni kēki o taberareta.My younger brother ate my cake on me.
Common errors
- Do not select this pattern from an English translation alone; check its attachment and discourse function.
- Keep the surrounding sentence in a consistent plain, polite, spoken, or written register.
Quick summary
- Ichidan verbs add られる; godan verbs move to the a-row + れる; する → される and 来る → 来られる.
- The passive can foreground a patient, report an event impersonally, or express that someone was adversely affected.
- The affected-person passive has no exact English structural equivalent and must be interpreted through viewpoint.