Intermediate Grammar: The Passive Voice

When studying Japanese, one useful grammatical concept is the passive voice. This structure is essential for expressing actions affecting the subject rather than the subject performing an action. It might seem tricky at first, but once you understand its mechanics, you'll find it is a straightforward and effective way to communicate in Japanese.

Understanding the Passive Voice

In English, forming a sentence in the passive voice usually involves using "to be" verbs and a past participle, such as "The ball was thrown by John." In Japanese, however, the construction is different.

The passive voice in Japanese is formed primarily by changing the verb into a specific passive form. This change often depends on whether the verb is a ru-verb (る verb) or a u-verb (う verb). Let’s break it down!

Conjugating Ru-verbs

For ru-verbs (verbs ending in -る), converting to passive voice is quite simple. You remove the る and add られる.

Example:

  • 食べる (たべる, taberu) – to eat
  • Passive: 食べられる (たべられる, taberareru) – to be eaten

Sentence Structure:

  • さくらんぼが食べられる (さくらんぼがたべられる, sakuranbo ga taberareru) - The cherries are eaten.

Conjugating U-verbs

U-verbs require a bit more attention since the conjugation depends on the final sound of the verb.

  1. For verbs ending in う, おう, and any vowel sound: The final う sound changes to あれる.

    • Example: 話す (はなす, hanasu) – to speak
    • Passive: 話される (はなされる, hanasareru) – to be spoken

    Sentence Structure:

    • 日本語が話される (にほんごがはなされる, nihongo ga hanasareru) - Japanese is spoken.

  2. For verbs ending in く: Change the く to かれる.

    • Example: 書く (かく, kaku) – to write
    • Passive: 書かれる (かかれる, kakareru) – to be written

    Sentence Structure:

    • 手紙が書かれる (てがみがかかれる, tegami ga kakareru) - The letter is written.

  3. For verbs ending in ぐ: Change the ぐ to がれる.

    • Example: 泳ぐ (およぐ, oyogu) – to swim
    • Passive: 泳がれる (およがれる, oyogareru) – to be swum

    Sentence Structure:

    • 海に泳がれる (うみにおよがれる, umi ni oyogareru) - It (the fish) is swum in the sea.

  4. For verbs ending in す: Change to される.

    • Example: 話す (はなす, hanasu) – to speak
    • Passive: 話される (はなされる, hanasareru) – to be spoken

    Sentence Structure:

    • 知らないことが話される (しらないことがはなされる, shiranai koto ga hanasareru) - Things that are unknown are spoken.

Using the Passive Voice Effectively

The passive voice serves several important functions in Japanese, including:

  1. Focusing on the receiver of the action: In many situations, the focus is more on what is happening to the subject rather than who is performing the action.

    Example:

    • この本は作られた (このほんはつくられた, kono hon wa tsukurareta) - This book was created.

  2. Indirectness or politeness: The passive voice is often seen as a more indirect form, which can be used to be more polite.

    Example:

    • 私は先生に呼ばれました (わたしはせんせいによばれました, watashi wa sensei ni yobaremashita) - I was called by the teacher.

  3. Expressing inconvenience: Passive construction can also express discomfort or inconvenience about an action.

    Example:

    • 事故で道が塞がれた (じこでみちがふさがれた, jiko de michi ga fusagareta) - The road was blocked by an accident.

Passive Voice in a Negative Form

Creating a negative form of the passive voice is also straightforward. Simply add ない (nai) after the られる (rareru) construction.

Example:

  • 食べられない (たべられない, taberarenai) – cannot be eaten
  • 私が食べられない (わたしがたべられない, watashi ga taberarenai) - I cannot be eaten.

Practice with Passive Voice

To master the passive voice, it’s essential to practice transforming active sentences into passive ones.

Exercise 1: Convert Active to Passive

Take the following active sentences and convert them to passive voice.

  1. 彼が本を読む。
  2. 彼女が歌を歌う。
  3. 友達が映画を見た。

Conversion Answers:

  1. 本が彼によまれる。
  2. 歌が彼女によばれる。
  3. 映画が友達に見られる。

Exercise 2: Create Passive Sentences

Now, create passive sentences based on the given subjects:

  1. わたし / 手紙 (letter)
  2. あなた / 映画 (movie)
  3. 犬 / おもちゃ (toy)

Suggested Answers:

  1. 手紙が私に書かれる。
  2. 映画があなたに見られる。
  3. おもちゃが犬にあげられる。

Conclusion

Understanding the passive voice is essential for enhancing your Japanese language skills. Not only does it allow for greater variety in sentence construction, but it also empowers you to express nuanced thoughts and feelings. Remember to practice converting and using these structures to fully incorporate them into your speaking and writing. With a bit of diligence, you'll find yourself effortlessly integrating the passive voice into your Japanese conversations! Keep practicing, and soon enough, you’ll feel comfortable using this valuable grammar point with confidence.