Japanese grammar
What does ～（ら）れた (passive form) mean? Japanese grammar N3
～（ら）れた (passive form) means was/were ~ed (passive form, past tense).
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N3 |
|---|---|
| Structure | V受身形 + た N1は + N2に + V受身形 |
| Romaji | (ra)reta |
| Meaning | was/were ~ed (passive form, past tense) |
Forming it
| Group I | 読む → 読まれた |
|---|---|
| Group II | 食べる → 食べられた |
| Group III | する → された／来る → 来られた |
How to use it
States that the subject RECEIVES an action from someone else. Japanese often uses the passive even where Vietnamese would use the active voice.
- The agent is marked with 「に」: 「彼は友達にだまされた」. For inanimate objects or when the agent is a collective, 「によって」 is often used: 「この本は多くの人に読まれた」.
- The "indirect" passive (迷惑の受身, adversative passive) is a distinctive feature of Japanese: 「雨に降られた」 (got rained on), 「子どもに泣かれた」 — the subject suffers a disadvantage even though it isn't the direct object.
- Note: 「られる」 is also the potential form and the honorific form — you must look at the particle and context to distinguish them.
Examples
彼は友達にだまされた。
He was deceived by his friend.
帰り道で雨に降られて、ずぶ濡れになった。
I got rained on during the way home and was soaked.
Keep in mind
- The agent takes 「に」 (or 「によって」 in written language).
- 「られる」 has the same form as the potential and honorific forms.
Common mistakes
-
Wrong彼は友達がだまされた。
He was deceived by his friend.
Correct彼は友達にだまされた。
The agent of a passive sentence is marked with 「に」.
-
Wrong私は雨を降られた。
I got rained on.
Correct私は雨に降られた。
The indirect passive also uses 「に」, not 「を」.
Exam tips
- Passive: the agent uses 「に」; 「雨に降られる」 is an adversative passive.