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Table of Contents
- N1 は N2 に Passive-form
- N1 は N2 に N3 を Passive-form
- passive form when feeling victimized
- passive form not feeling annoyed
👥 37. Passive and Causative
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Please express using with a passive form. Click “Passive” to see the result.
- Someone behind me pushed me.
うしろの ひとが わたしを おしました。
- Mr.Sato gave Mr.Suzuki many tasks.
さとうさんは すずきさんに たくさん しごとを たのみました。
- The university selected Ms.Tanaka for outstanding student award.
だいがくは たなかさんを ゆうしゅうしょうに えらびました。
- My younger brother broken my glasses.
おとうとが わたしの めがねを こわしました。
- The person next to me made my shirts dirty at a ramen restaurant.
ラーメンやで となりに いた ひとが わたしの シャツを よごしました。
- My friend played guitar till late night, so I was not able to sleep.
ともだちが よる おそくまで ギターを ひいて、( わたしは ) ねむれませんでした。
- A man stand in front of me, so I could not see anything.
おとこのひとが まえに たって、なにも みえませんでした。
- People sing this song all over the world.
Well done!
Check the brief grammar notes and examples below for your review.
Grammar Note
⚫️ Noun 1 は Noun 2 に Passive Form
”Noun 1” is affected by the action of ”Noun 2”, and it’s an expression from the side of ”Noun 1”. A subject ( = “Noun 1” ) is a “human”, and “Noun 2” can be something that “moves” ( animal, car etc. ) other than a “human”.
1.
active:
( 1 ) pushed ( 2 ).
| Noun ( 2 ) は | Noun ( 1 ) を | おしました |
passive:
( 1 ) was pushed by ( 2 ).
| Noun ( 1 ) は | Noun ( 2 ) に | おされました |
The teacher called me.
active:
せんせいは わたしを よびました。
sensei [wa] watashi [o] yobi-mashita.
passive:
わたしは せんせいに よばれました。
watashi [wa] sensei [ni] yobare-mashita.
My dog woke me up.
active:
いぬは わたしを おこしました。
inu [wa] watashi [o] okoshi-mashita.
passive:
わたしは いぬに おこされました。
watashi [wa] inu [ni] okosare-mashita.
2.
active:
A asked B for C.
| A は | B に | C を | たのみました |
passive:
B was asked by A for C.
| B は | A に | C を | たのまれました |
Taro asked Hanako for shopping.
active:
たろうは はなこに かいものを たのみました。
tarō [wa] hanako [ni] kaimono [o] tanomi-mashita.
passive:
はなこは たろうに かいものを たのまれました。
hanako [wa] tarō [ni] kaimono [o] tanomare-mashita.
The police asked me my name.
active:
けいさつかんは わたしに なまえを ききました。
keisatsukan [wa] watashi [ni] namae [o] kiki-mashita.
passive:
わたしは けいさつかんに なまえを きかれました。
watashi [wa] keisatsukan [ni] namae [o] kikare-mashita.
Passive-form
⚫️ Noun 1 は Noun 2 に Noun 3 を Passive Form
“Noun 1’s part of body or personal belonging ( = N3 ) is affected by Noun 2. It annoys Noun 1 and Noun 1 feels “I am a victim”.
active:
A pushed B’s back.
| A は | B の | せなか を | おしました |
passive:
B was pushed B’s back by A.
| B は | A に | せなか を | おされました |
The man stole my wallet.
active:
おとこのひとが わたしの さいふを とりました。
otokonohito [ga] watashi [no] saifu [o] tori-mashita.
passive:
わたしは おとこのひとに さいふを とられました。
watashi [wa] otokonohito [ni] saifu [o] torare-mashita.
My friend read my diary.
active:
ともだちが わたしの にっきを よみました。
tomodachi [ga] watashi [no] nikki [o] yomi-mashita.
passive:
わたしは ともだちに にっきを よまれました。
watashi [wa] tomodachi [ni] nikki [o] yomare-mashita.
⚫️ passive for when feeling victimized
You are not directly affected by someone’s action or some event, but it bothers and annoys you. Both transitive verb and intransitive verb can be used in this sentence pattern. ‘Passive of intransitive verb’ is particular to Japanese language, so it is unfamiliar to foreigners. Please learn with example sentences.
active:
The thief run away.
| どろぼう は | にげました |
passive:
It annoyed me.
| わたし は | どろぼう に | にげられました |
active:
My roommates made a lot of noise.
ともだちが さわぎました。
tomodachi [ga] sawagi-mashita.
passive:
My roommates made a lot of noise, so I could not study.
ともだちに さわがれて、( わたしは ) べんきょう できませんでした。
tomodachi [ni] sawagarete, ( watashi [wa] ) benkyō deki-masendeshita.
active:
It rained on the day of school trip.
えんそくの ひに あめが ふりました。
ensoku [no] hi [ni] ame [ga] furi-mashita.
passive:
It rained on the day of school trip, so we could not go to the sea.
えんそくの ひに あめに ふられて、うみに いけませんでした。
ensoku [no] hi [ni] ame [ni] furarete, umi [ni] ike-masendeshita.
active:
The lady put the luggage on the seat on the train.
でんしゃで おんなのひとが せきに にもつを おきました。
densha [de] onnanohito [ga] seki [ni] nimotsu [o] oki-mashita.
passive:
The lady put the luggage on the seat on the train, so I could not sit.
でんしゃで おんなのひとに せきに にもつを おかれて、( わたしは ) すわれませんでした。
densha [de] onnanohito [ni] seki [ni] nimotsu [o] okarete, ( watashi [wa] ) suware-masendeshita.
The subject is “I / we” or “someone you feel emotionally close to”.
active:
The baby cried.
あかちゃんが なきました。
akachan [ga] naki-mashita.
passive:
The baby cried, and the mother doesn’t know what to do.
あかちゃんに なかれて、おかあさんは こまっています。
akachan [ni] nakarete, okāsan [wa] komatte-imasu.
Note:
This expression is used when you feel annoyed.
yoru tomodachi [ni] gitā [o] hikarete, ( watashi [wa] ) nemure-masendeshita.
( My friend played guitar at night, so I was not able to sleep. )
If you feel happy, use ”Verbて-くれます” or “Verbて-もらいます“.
watashi [no] tanjōbi [ni] tomodachi [ga] gitā [o] hīte-kure-mashita.
( My friend played guitar for me on my birthday. )
tomodachi [wa] gitā [ga] totemo jōzu-na-node, ‘party’ [de] hīte-morai-mashita.
( My friend is very good at playing the guitar, so I asked him and he kindly played for my party. )
⚫️ passive form not feeling annoyed
You use the Passive form to say the facts objectively. This expression doesn’t have feeling of disgust.
It is told a fact that will happen or has happened socially.
sushi [wa] sekaijū [de] taberarete-imasu.
( People eat sushi all over the world. )
It is often not expressed ‘by the person or people who does’.
orinpikku [wa] yonen [ni] ikkai okonaware-masu.
( The Olympic games are held once every four years. )
kono hashi [wa] kyonen tsukurare-mashita.
( This bridge is built last year. )
Let’s say it in Japanese !
Let’s practice speaking!
Look at the English sentences and try to say them in Japanese. Click “answer” to check the correct sentence and practice with the audio.
My mother scolded me.
ははは わたしを おこりました。
The lady stepped my foot on the train.
でんしゃで その おんなのひとは わたしの あしをふみました。
Someone put the bicycle in front of the door, so I was not able to go out.
Wine is made from grapes.
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