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Structure

Group 1

u-verb → areru

Group 2

ru-verb → rareru

Irregular

する → される

くる → こられる

受身形 (passive voice) expresses that the subject receives an action. Japanese passive has unique features, including the "suffering passive."

Formation:

• Group 1 (u-verbs): う → あれる (書く → 書かれる)

• Group 2 (ru-verbs): る → られる (食べる → 食べられる)

• Irregular: する → される, くる → こられる

電車で足を踏まれた。

My foot was stepped on on the train.

Types of passive:

Direct passive - Standard (彼に殴られた - was hit by him)

Indirect/Suffering passive - Being affected (雨に降られた - got rained on)

Suffering passive nuance:

Japanese can make intransitive verbs passive to show the subject was negatively affected:

• 子供に泣かれた - The child cried (and it bothered me)

• 隣の人にタバコを吸われた - The person next to me smoked (affecting me)

Agent marker:

The doer is marked with に (by).

受身形 has multiple meanings

- Direct passive: 殴られた (was hit)

- Indirect/adversity: 雨に降られた (got rained on [annoyed])

Formation: う→あれる, る→られる

Adversity passive unique to Japanese

彼に殴られた。

I was hit by him.

雨に降られた。

I got rained on (suffered from rain).

この本は多くの人に読まれている。

This book is read by many people.

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