JLPT N4 grammar · Chapter 18

Passive form (～れる・～られる)

Say what was done and who received the action

You'll be able to shift attention from the person acting to the person or thing affected.

Illustration of the scene described by Mei was praised by her teacher.

Read it first

芽衣めいは先生せんせいにほめられました。

mei wa sensei ni homeraremashita.

What do you think this sentence means?

Mei was praised by her teacher.

Why it means that

Describe someone receiving an action

The passive makes the recipient of an action the subject. It is useful for saying someone was praised, invited, or affected. It can also describe facts without foregrounding an actor.

Passive forms are built according to verb group, as the next steps show. Verbs that take no direct object — such as 泳およぐ or 死しぬ — can also become passive. Because they have no direct object to promote, their affected-person use is the indirect passive in the next lesson.

Formation overview

Group 1 · Godan

う → われる

買かう → 買かわれる

kau → kawareru

buy → passive form

く → かれる

書かく → 書かかれる

kaku → kakareru

write → passive form

ぐ → がれる

泳およぐ → 泳およがれる

oyogu → oyogareru

swim → passive form

す → される

話はなす → 話はなされる

hanasu → hanasareru

speak → passive form

つ → たれる

待まつ → 待またれる

matsu → matareru

wait → passive form

ぬ → なれる

死しぬ → 死しなれる

shinu → shinareru

die → passive form

ぶ → ばれる

遊あそぶ → 遊あそばれる

asobu → asobareru

play → passive form

む → まれる

読よむ → 読よまれる

yomu → yomareru

read → passive form

る → られる

乗のる → 乗のられる

noru → norareru

ride → passive form

Group 2 · Ichidan

remove る + られる

食たべる → 食たべられる

taberu → taberareru

eat → passive form

remove る + られる

見みる → 見みられる

miru → mirareru

see/watch → passive form

Group 3 · Irregular

special form

する → される

suru → sareru

do → passive form

special form

来くる → 来こられる

kuru → korareru

come → passive form

Group 1 · Godan	う → われる	買かう → 買かわれる kau → kawareru	buy → passive form
	く → かれる	書かく → 書かかれる kaku → kakareru	write → passive form
	ぐ → がれる	泳およぐ → 泳およがれる oyogu → oyogareru	swim → passive form
	す → される	話はなす → 話はなされる hanasu → hanasareru	speak → passive form
	つ → たれる	待まつ → 待またれる matsu → matareru	wait → passive form
	ぬ → なれる	死しぬ → 死しなれる shinu → shinareru	die → passive form
	ぶ → ばれる	遊あそぶ → 遊あそばれる asobu → asobareru	play → passive form
	む → まれる	読よむ → 読よまれる yomu → yomareru	read → passive form
	る → られる	乗のる → 乗のられる noru → norareru	ride → passive form
Group 2 · Ichidan	remove る + られる	食たべる → 食たべられる taberu → taberareru	eat → passive form
Group 2 · Ichidan	remove る + られる	見みる → 見みられる miru → mirareru	see/watch → passive form
Group 3 · Irregular	special form	する → される suru → sareru	do → passive form
Group 3 · Irregular	special form	来くる → 来こられる kuru → korareru	come → passive form

How it is built

Group 1 · Godan

Change the final u-row kana to the a-row and add れる. For final う, use わ: 買かう→買かわれる.

Group 1 dictionary ending→passive ending

Examples

買かう → 買かわれる

kau → kawareru

buy → passive form

書かく → 書かかれる

kaku → kakareru

write → passive form

泳およぐ → 泳およがれる

oyogu → oyogareru

swim → passive form

話はなす → 話はなされる

hanasu → hanasareru

speak → passive form

待まつ → 待またれる

matsu → matareru

wait → passive form

死しぬ → 死しなれる

shinu → shinareru

die → passive form

遊あそぶ → 遊あそばれる

asobu → asobareru

play → passive form

読よむ → 読よまれる

yomu → yomareru

read → passive form

乗のる → 乗のられる

noru → norareru

ride → passive form

How it is built

Group 2 · Ichidan

Remove final る and add られる. These forms look identical to Group 2 potentials; the sentence roles distinguish them.

Group 2 without final る+られる

Examples

食たべる → 食たべられる

taberu → taberareru

eat → passive form

見みる → 見みられる

miru → mirareru

see/watch → passive form

How it is built

Group 3 · Irregular

する becomes される; 来くる becomes 来こられる (こられる). Conjugate the result as a Group 2 verb.

する / 来る→される / 来られる

Examples

する → される

suru → sareru

do → passive form

来くる → 来こられる

kuru → korareru

come → passive form

How it is built

Form and use Passive form (～れる・～られる)

う changes to わ before れる: 買かう→買かわれる. する→される and 来くる→来こられる (こられる). The actor often takes に. Passive verbs conjugate like Group 2 verbs. Not every passive describes suffering.

Group 1 a-row stem+れる/Group 2 without る+られる

Examples

蓮れんは友達ともだちに招待しょうたいされました。

ren wa tomodachi ni shoutai saremashita.

Ren was invited by a friend.

蓮れんは先生せんせいに褒ほめられました。

ren wa sensei ni homeraremashita.

Ren was praised by his teacher.

この本ほんは多おおくの人ひとに読よまれています。

kono hon wa ooku no hito ni yomarete imasu.

This book is read by many people.