Passive form: ru-verbs (～られる)

In a normal sentence, the subject does something. In a passive sentence, the subject has something done to them. The person doing the action is marked with the particle ni. The person or thing receiving the action is marked with wa or ga. For ru-verbs, this transformation is very consistent. You are basically swapping the "doer" and the "receiver." If your friend eats your snacks, you are the one affected. You become the subject of the sentence to show your reaction. It is like a grammar mirror reflecting the action back.

1. 1Changing ru-verbs into the passive form is actually quite simple. Follow these steps:
2. 2Identify your ru-verb (like taberu or miru).
3. 3Remove the final ru from the dictionary form.
4. 4Attach rareru to the stem.
5. 5Let's look at some quick transformations:
6. 6taberu (to eat) becomes taberareru (to be eaten).
7. 7miru (to see) becomes mirareru (to be seen/watched).
8. 8omeru (to praise) becomes homerareru (to be praised).
9. 9shimeru (to close) becomes shimerareru (to be closed).
10. 10Yes, the word gets a bit longer! It might feel like a mouthful at first. Just remember: drop the ru, add the rareru. It is a very reliable pattern for this verb group.

You will use this pattern in three main scenarios. First is the Direct Passive. This is for physical actions. For example, "I was praised by the teacher." Second is the Indirect Passive (or the "Suffering Passive"). This is very common in Japan. You use it when someone does something that annoys you. If someone opens the window and you are cold, you use the passive. It subtly tells the listener, "Hey, I'm not happy about this!" Third is for Formal Situations. In job interviews or business meetings, the passive form sounds polite. It makes the sentence feel less aggressive. Imagine you are at a job interview. You might say you were "given an opportunity" rather than "I took the opportunity." It shows humility and respect.

Don't use the passive for everything! If you can say it simply in the active voice, do that. Overusing the passive makes you sound like a robot or a legal document. Also, avoid using it when the "doer" is an inanimate object unless it's a formal report. For example, don't say "The rain hit me" in passive unless you want to sound very dramatic. In casual chats with friends, the active voice is usually king. Think of the passive like a spice. Use it to add flavor, but don't dump the whole bottle in the pot!

The biggest trap is the Potential Form overlap. For ru-verbs, the passive form (rareru) is identical to the potential form ("can do"). Taberareru can mean "to be eaten" OR "can eat." How do you tell? Context is your best friend here. If you are talking about a delicious cake, it's probably "can eat." If you are crying because your lunch is gone, it's "was eaten." Another mistake is forgetting the ni particle for the doer. Many people accidentally use wo. Remember: the person doing the action to you gets the ni. It is like a grammar traffic light—ni points to the source of the action.

It is easy to confuse the passive with the Causative Form (saseru). While passive means "something was done to me," causative means "I made someone do something." Don't mix them up, or you might accidentally say you forced your boss to eat your lunch! Also, compare it to the Honorific Form. Some high-level honorifics use the same rareru ending to show respect. This can be confusing. Just remember that in B1 level, you are mostly dealing with the "suffering" or "direct" passive. If the context is a polite old lady talking to you, it might be honorific. If it's a friend complaining about their cat, it's definitely passive.