Passive form (〜られる / 〜れる)

"be done (by someone)". Also the "suffering passive" (迷惑の受身) where the subject is adversely affected.

The passive says something was done TO the subject: ほめる (praise) → ほめられる (be praised). The person who does the action is marked with に. Japanese also has a "suffering passive": 雨に降られた ("I got rained on") shows the speaker was affected, usually badly. If someone steps on your foot, you say 足を踏まれた, keeping を on the foot and making yourself the subject.

Three main jobs: (1) plain passive, when the receiver matters more than the doer (この本は多くの人に読まれている); (2) suffering passive, to complain about what someone did to you (財布を盗まれた, 友達に来られて勉強できなかった); (3) neutral facts about creations and discoveries with によって (この寺は8世紀に建てられた). Also used as a light honorific (lesson 71).

• Group 1: ない-stem + れる: 書く→書かれる, 読む→読まれる, 踏む→踏まれる, 言う→言われる
• Group 2: ない-stem + られる: 食べる→食べられる, ほめる→ほめられる
• Group 3: する→される, 来る→来られる (こられる)
• Doer + に (先生にほめられた); for authors/builders: によって
• Conjugates as Group 2: 言われます / 言われない / 言われた

1. 01

   私は先生にほめられました。

   わたしは せんせいに ほめられました。

   I was praised by the teacher.

   Plain passive: doer 先生 takes に.

2. 02

   この本は多くの人に読まれています。

   この ほんは おおくの ひとに よまれています。

   This book is read by many people.

   Passive for general statements about a thing; the doer is a vague group.

3. 03

   電車で足を踏まれた。

   でんしゃで あしを ふまれた。

   I got my foot stepped on in the train.

   Suffering passive: the foot keeps を, the speaker is the affected subject.

4. 04

   電車の中で財布を盗まれてしまった。

   でんしゃのなかで さいふを ぬすまれてしまった。

   I had my wallet stolen on the train.

   Suffering passive with を: the speaker is the victim, the wallet is the object.

5. 05

   この橋は百年前に作られました。

   このはしは ひゃくねんまえに つくられました。

   This bridge was built a hundred years ago.

   Neutral passive for things that were made; if you name the builder, use によって.

• Potential form

  Group 2 potential and passive look the same (食べられる). Potential sentences have が on the object and no doer; passive sentences have a doer with に. Compare side by side

• 〜(ら)れる as honorific

  The same form used about a respected person (先生が来られた = the teacher came). No に-doer and the subject is someone you respect. Compare side by side

• Causative-passive 〜させられる

  "Was made to do": the subject was forced to act. Plain passive: the subject had something done to them. Compare side by side

• ✗

  私は友達がケーキを食べられた。

  ✓

  私は友達にケーキを食べられた。

  Why

  In the passive the doer takes に, not が. "My friend ate my cake (and I was upset)."

• ✗

  私の足は電車で踏まれた。

  ✓

  私は電車で足を踏まれた。

  Why

  Japanese prefers to make the affected person the subject and keep を on the body part or possession.

• ✗

  この小説は夏目漱石に書かれた。

  ✓

  この小説は夏目漱石によって書かれた。

  Why

  For creators of works (write, build, paint, discover), use によって instead of に.

The suffering passive can use intransitive verbs, which English cannot: 雨に降られる, 友達に来られる, 父に死なれる. The nuance is "and it was a problem for me". Japanese uses the passive less than English for neutral facts. In daily conversation, prefer the active with a clear doer when there is no emotional nuance. Feelings and commonly used passives: 言われる (be told), 呼ばれる (be called), 誘われる (be invited), 叱られる (be scolded), 頼まれる (be asked).