Direct Passive (直接受身)

Overview

The Japanese passive voice, known as 受身 (ukemi), is a fundamental aspect of intermediate grammar. Unlike the English passive, which is often used to sound more objective or formal, the Japanese direct passive (直接受身) frequently carries a specific nuance of being 'affected' by an action. In many cases, this implies a sense of 'suffering' or 'adversity' (被害 - higai), where the subject is inconvenienced by someone else's behavior. However, it can also be used for neutral or even positive actions, such as being praised. Understanding the direct passive requires shifting your perspective from the person performing the action (the agent) to the person receiving the action (the subject).

How This Grammar Works

In a direct passive sentence, the object of an active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. The original subject (the doer) is marked with the particle に (ni). For example, in the active sentence 'The teacher scolded me' (先生が私を叱った), 'me' is the object. In the passive version, 'I was scolded by the teacher' (私は先生に叱られた), 'I' becomes the subject marked with は or が. A crucial distinction for B1 learners is the 'adversity' nuance. While English uses the passive voice to describe events neutrally (e.g., 'The window was broken'), Japanese speakers often prefer the active voice unless they want to emphasize how the event impacted the subject. If you say '私は弟にケーキを食べられた' (My cake was eaten by my younger brother), you aren't just stating a fact; you are expressing that you are annoyed or upset that your cake is gone. Furthermore, the direct passive is used when the speaker wants to describe an event from their own perspective or the perspective of someone they empathize with. It is less common to use the passive voice for inanimate objects in daily conversation (e.g., 'The book was read by me' sounds very unnatural in Japanese) unless describing public facts, historical events, or scientific discoveries.

Formation Pattern

Group 1 (U-verbs): Change the final -u sound to -a and add -reru (e.g., Kaku -> Kakareru). Group 2 (Ru-verbs): Remove -ru and add -rareru (e.g., Taberu -> Taberareru). Group 3 (Irregular): Suru becomes Sareru; Kuru becomes Korareru.

When To Use It

• When you are negatively affected by someone else's action (Adversity).
• When you are praised, invited, or asked for something by another person.
• When describing a situation from the receiver's point of view to maintain the flow of the topic.
• When the person performing the action is unknown, obvious, or unimportant (often used in news or reports).

When Not To Use It

• Avoid using the passive for inanimate objects in casual speech (e.g., 'The coffee was drunk by me' is incorrect).
• Do not use the passive to show respect to a superior for an action they did for you; use 'morau' or 'itadaku' (giving/receiving) instead.
• Avoid using the passive for natural phenomena unless you are specifically being inconvenienced by it (e.g., being rained on).

Common Mistakes

1. Using を instead of に to mark the agent (the person who did the action).
2. Confusing the passive form (-rareru) with the potential form (-rareru) for Group 2 verbs; context is key.
3. Overusing the passive voice because of English influence, making the Japanese sound 'translation-ese' and stiff.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

The Direct Passive differs from the Indirect (Adversative) Passive in that the direct passive's subject was the direct object of the active verb. In the Indirect Passive, the subject is affected by an action that didn't necessarily involve them directly as an object (e.g., 'I was rained on' or 'The baby cried on me'). Additionally, the passive is often confused with the 'Honorific' form, which uses the same conjugation but implies respect rather than being the recipient of an action.

Quick FAQ

Q: Is the passive form always negative in Japanese?

A: No. While it is very common to use it for 'adversity' (negative impact), it is also used for neutral actions (being asked) or positive actions (being praised/invited).

Q: How can I tell the difference between the passive and the potential form?

A: For Group 2 verbs (like taberu), the forms are identical (taberareru). You must rely on context and particles. Passive usually uses 'ni' for the agent, while potential often uses 'ga' for the object.

Q: Can I use 'kara' instead of 'ni' to mark the doer?

A: Yes, 'kara' is often used instead of 'ni' when the action involves a transfer of information or things, such as being given a gift or being told something by an organization.