JapaneseJLPT
JLPT N4 grammar · Chapter 18

Indirect passive

An event affects someone negatively

You'll be able to describe an action that caused inconvenience, distress, or an unwanted effect.

Illustration of the scene described by Mei ate Ren’s cake, to his dismay.
Read it first

蓮れんは芽衣めいにケーキを食たべられました。

ren wa mei ni keeki o taberaremashita.

What do you think this sentence means?

Mei ate Ren’s cake, to his dismay.

Why it means that

Show how an event affected someone

An indirect passive describes an event from the viewpoint of someone affected by it, often inconveniently. English may naturally use an active sentence plus the effect on that person.

Example

雨あめに降ふられて、ぬれてしまいました。

ame ni furarete, nurete shimaimashita.

I was caught in the rain and got wet.

How it is built

Form and use Indirect passive

The original object can remain marked を, as in ケーキを食たべられた. Intransitive events can also be passive: 雨あめに降ふられた. State the affected person or consequence clearly so the viewpoint makes sense.

Affected person+は+Actor or cause+に+Passive verb
Examples

雨あめに降ふられて、ぬれてしまいました。

ame ni furarete, nurete shimaimashita.

I was caught in the rain and got wet.

隣となりの人ひとに騒さわがれて、眠ねむれませんでした。

tonari no hito ni sawagarete, nemuremasen deshita.

The person next door was noisy, and I could not sleep.

Examples

電車でんしゃの中なかで、隣となりの人ひとに足あしを踏ふまれました。

densha no naka de, tonari no hito ni ashi o fumaremashita.

On the train, the person next to me stepped on my foot.

旅行りょこう中ちゅうずっと雨あめに降ふられて、どこにも行いけませんでした。

ryokouchuu zutto ame ni furarete, doko ni mo ikemasen deshita.

It rained the whole time on my trip, so I couldn't go anywhere.

妹いもうとに大事だいじな日記にっきを読よまれました。

imouto ni daiji na nikki o yomaremashita.

My younger sister read my diary, which is very important to me.

7 more examples in the grammar path — free for a limited time.