Introduction
English also has the passive voice (受身 ukemi) , but in Japanese it is not simply a structural transformation—it often conveys nuances of emotion, interpersonal relationships, and subtle social positioning.
Consider these examples:
・私は犬(いぬ)に足(あし)をかまれた。
(I was bitten on the leg by a dog.)
・弟(おとうと)にケーキを食(た)べられた。
(My little brother ate my cake, affecting me.)
・先生(せんせい)にほめられた。
(I was praised by my teacher.)
・英語(えいご)は世界中(せかいじゅう)で話(はな)されています。
(English is spoken all over the world.)
All of these are passive constructions, but the meanings they express differ greatly. Sometimes the passive describes a physical action, sometimes an indirect consequence, and at other times social evaluation or recognition.
Types of Passive in Japanese
■ Direct Passive
The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
・山田(やまだ)さんは佐藤(さとう)さんをほめた。
(Yamada praised Satō.)
・佐藤(さとう)さんは山田(やまだ)さんにほめられた。
(Satō was praised by Yamada.)
■ Indirect Passive
The action is not directed at the subject itself, but the subject is indirectly affected.
・弟(おとうと)にケーキを食(た)べられた。
(My younger brother ate the cake, and I was affected by it.)
■ Possessor Passive
A subtype of indirect passive where the subject is affected because something they own is involved.
・友達(ともだち)に車(くるま)を壊(こわ)された。
(My car was broken by a friend—affecting me as the owner.)
■ Impersonal Passive (Inanimate Subject)
Inanimate subjects can appear naturally in passive sentences, unlike in most other Japanese constructions.
・富士山(ふじさん)は世界中(せかいじゅう)の人々(ひとびと)に知(し)られている。
(Mt. Fuji is known by people all over the world.)
・源氏物語(げんじものがたり)は紫式部(むらさきしきぶ)によって書(か)かれた。
(The Tale of Genji was written by Murasaki Shikibu.)
・英語(えいご)は世界中(せかいじゅう)で話(はな)されています。
(English is spoken all over the world.)
Functions of the Passive
■ Shifting the topic to the affected party
By using the passive, the focus is placed on the person influenced rather than the agent.
■ Expressing psychological impact
・友達(ともだち)に笑(わら)われた。
(I was laughed at by my friends—implying embarrassment or discomfort.)
■ Expressing benefit
・私(わたし)は友達(ともだち)に助(たす)けられた。
(I was helped by a friend.)
The passive here emphasizes the fact that the speaker received help.
Learner Challenges and Nuances
■ “Ni” vs “Kara”
× 先生(せんせい)からほめられた。
○ 先生(せんせい)にほめられた。
The particle ni is the natural choice for marking the agent in passives. Kara is unnatural here.
■ Passive vs Intransitive
・窓(まど)が壊(こわ)れた。 (The window broke—naturally or accidentally.)
・窓(まど)が壊(こわ)された。 (The window was broken—implying an agent did it.)
Both are correct. The difference lies in nuance: kowareta describes an event without specifying an agent, while kowasareta implies an external actor.
■ “Tasuke(te) moratta” vs “Tasukerareta”
Both are correct, but they differ in nuance.
・助(たす)けてもらった: Highlights the benefactive nature of the action. It emphasizes that someone did something for me, often carrying a nuance of gratitude.
例：友達(ともだち)に助(たす)けてもらった。
(My friend helped me—I received the benefit of their action.)
・助(たす)けられた: A more neutral description of the resulting state of being saved, without necessarily emphasizing benefaction.
例：駅員(えきいん)に助(たす)けられた。
(I was helped by a station attendant—stating the fact objectively.)
In short, moratta stresses the benefactive aspect, while -rareta presents the situation more neutrally.
Final Thoughts
The Japanese passive is far more than a simple grammatical transformation.
・It shifts focus from the agent to the affected party.
・It expresses psychological and social impact.
・It can describe both harm and benefit.
・It allows inanimate subjects in ways unusual for other Japanese sentence structures.
For learners, the passive can feel complicated, but understanding its diversity provides valuable insight into how Japanese speakers perceive events—not just in terms of who did something, but how it affected others.