A person or object that are being done are called the passive voice / form. Today, we will learn how to conjugate from the dictionary form to the passive form.
First, there are two types of passive voice to discuss; positive is when something has happened, and negative for when something has not happened.
Positive
Expressing something that happened:
- ăšăă ăĄă«ăăăăă«ăăăăăă I was asked go to the movies by my friend.
- ăăźćź¶ăŻăïŒïŒïŒćčŽăŸăă«ăăăŠăăă This house was built one hundred years ago.
Group 1: Take the dictionary form “u” off and put “areru”.
When a word ends with “tsu” such as “ăŸă€(matsu, take “su” off and put “areru”
| To read | ăă (yomu) → ăăŸăă (yomareru) |
- ăăźæŹăŻăăăăăźäșșă«ăăăŸăăă The book was read by many people.
| To hit | ă〠(utsu) → ăăăă (utareru) |
- ăăŒă ă©ăłăăăăăă The player hit a home run.
Group 2: Take the dictionary “ru” off and put “rareru”.
| To eat | ăăčă (taberu) → ăăčăăă (taberareru) |
- ăăăăšă«ăç§ăźă±ăŒăăăăăčăăăă My cake was eaten by my little sister.
Irregular: ăă → ăăăă
ăă → ăăă
- ăšăă ăĄă«ăăăăă«ă柶ă«ăăăăăă My friend came to my house at midnight.
- ăăăăźăăăă«ăăăŹă«ăăăăĄăăăăăă My dog pooped on my bed.
As you can tell, the passive voice is used often as past tense.
There are different types of passive voice and I will write about the two major types of them.
1. Directly Passive Voice
When it has the active voice and you can conjugate it to the passive voice.
Using the first example:
ăšăă ăĄăăăăăă«ăăăăŁăă My friend asked me to go to the movies. Active voice
ăšăă ăĄă«ăăăăă«ăăăăăăă I was asked go to the movies by my friend. Passive voice
Another example:
ăżăăȘăăăźăăăăăăă ă Everyone likes her. Active voice
ăăźăăăŻăăżăăȘă«ăăăăăŠăăă She is liked by everyone. Passive voice
2. Indirectly Passive Voice
When it does not have the active voice but only the passive voice:
ăăăŻăă€ăŸă«ăăăă ăăăă His wife passed away.
We do not say ă€ăŸăŻăăăăăăăă ăŁă.
In that case, the sentence does not have the active voice. It is called indirectly passive voice.
In Japanese, we use the passive voice often. It is easy to conjugate, so please try to learn!
Negative
Expressing that something did not happen:
Group 1: Take the dictionary form “u” off and put “arenai”.
When a word ends with “tsu” such as ăŸă€ matsu, take “su” off and put “arenai”
| To listen | ăă(kiku) → ăăăăȘă (kikarenai) |
- ă ăă«ăăăăăăȘăăŁăă Nobody heard.
| To hit | ă〠(utsu) → ăăăăȘă (utarenai) |
- 性ăăȘăăȘăżă«ăăăăăȘăăŁăă I was not hit by the big wave.
Group 2: Take a dictionary “ru” off and put “rarenai”
| To see | ăżă (miru) → ăżăăăȘă (mirarenai) |
- ăăăăă«ăă«ăłăăłă°ăăăżăăăȘăăŁăă My teacher did not see me while I was cheating.
Irregular: ăă → ăăăăȘă ăăăăă
ăă → ăăăȘă
Summary
Group 1 (also known as u-dropping verbs)
Positive present tense → areru
Positive past tenseăă→ areta
Negative present tense → arenai
Negative past tense → arenakatta
When the verb ends with tsu, drop su and put areru
Group 2 (also known as ru-dropping verbs)
Positive present tense → rareru
Positive past tense → rareta
Negative present tense → rarenai
Negative past tense → rarenakatta
Irregular (also known as group 3)
- Positive present tense → ăăăă
- ăăă Positive past tense → ăăăă
- ăăă Negative present tense → ăăăăȘă
- ăăăȘă Negative past tense → ăăăăȘăăŁăă»ăăăȘăăŁă
