Master the Japanese Passive Form (〜られる): JLPT N3 Study Guide

In English, the passive voice ("The cake was eaten") is often used to sound objective or formal. In Japanese, however, the Passive Form (受身形 - ukemikei) is highly dynamic. It is frequently used to express how an action affected someone—often negatively.受身形

To pass the JLPT N3, you must master not only how to conjugate this form, but also how to choose the correct particles and identify the speaker's emotional nuance.

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1. How to Conjugate the Passive Form

First, let's look at how to transform plain verbs into their passive equivalents.

Note: For Group 1 verbs ending in a hiragana vowel "う" (like 買う - kau), change "う" to "わ" before adding れる (e.g., 買われる - kawareru).買

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2. Three Essential Sentence Patterns

The N3 exam tests your understanding of three distinct passive patterns. Pay close attention to the particles.

Pattern A: The Direct Passive (Standard)

This is used when an action is directly done to you by someone else.

$$\text{[Receiver]} \ \mathbf{は} \ \text{[Doer]} \ \mathbf{に} \ \text{[Passive Verb]}$$

• 日本語: 私は先生に褒められました。日本語私先生
• Romaji: Watashi wa sensei ni homerareshita.
• English: I was praised by the teacher.

Key Rule: The person who performs the action is always marked with the particle に (ni).

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Pattern B: The Adversity / Indirect Passive (迷惑の受身)

This is a uniquely Japanese concept. It is used when someone does an action that causes you inconvenience, annoyance, or sadness.

$$\text{[Victim]} \ \mathbf{は} \ \text{[Doer]} \ \mathbf{に} \ \text{[Possession]} \ \mathbf{を} \ \text{[Passive Verb]}$$

• 日本語: 私は弟にケーキを食べられました。日本語私弟食
• Romaji: Watashi wa otouto ni keiki wo taberaremashita.
• English: My cake was eaten by my little brother (and I am upset about it).

Even intransitive verbs (verbs that don't take direct objects, like "to rain" or "to die") can be used in this pattern:

• 日本語: 帰る途中で、雨に降られました。日本語帰途中
• Romaji: Kaeru tochu de, ame ni furaremashita.
• English: On my way home, I got rained on (literally: "It rained on me," causing me inconvenience).

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Pattern C: The Passive of Creation & Public Facts

When talking about historical facts, inventions, or artistic creations, the agent (creator) is marked with によって (ni yotte) instead of に.

$$\text{[Object]} \ \mathbf{は} \ \text{[Creator]} \ \mathbf{によって} \ \text{[Passive Verb]}$$

• 日本語: このビルは有名な建築家によって設計されました。日本語有名建
• Romaji: Kono biru wa yuumei na kenchikuka ni yotte sekkei saremashita.
• English: This building was designed by a famous architect.

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3. Tutor Pro-Tip: Passive vs. Potential

You might have noticed that Group 2 passive verbs (e.g., 食べられる) look identical to their potential form ("can do").食

• Potential: 私は納豆が食べられる。 (I can eat natto.)私納豆食
• Passive: 弟に納豆を食べられた。 (My natto was eaten by my brother.)弟納豆食

How to tell them apart: Look at the particles. Potential verbs usually take が (ga), while passive sentences will feature に (ni) to indicate the doer of the action.

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Quick Practice Challenge

Can you translate this sentence into Japanese using the passive form?

"I was laughed at by my friend." (To laugh: 笑う - warau)笑

Answer:
私は友達に笑われました。 (Watashi wa tomodachi ni warawaremashita.)私友達笑