This passive shows that someone is affected, usually in an unwelcome way, by what another person or thing does. When something is done to your belongings or your body, you, the owner, become the subject: 足を踏まれました (someone stepped on my foot). When an event such as rain or a baby crying causes you trouble, Japanese can also use the passive: 雨に降られました (I got rained on). English has no direct equivalent, so do not translate word for word.
§1Structure
(1) Owner's passive: [person] は + [doer] に + [the person's thing or body part] を + passive verb (わたしは弟にケーキを食べられました). The owner is the subject, and the thing keeps を. (2) Trouble passive: [person] は + [doer / cause] に + passive verb. Here even verbs that take no object can be used: 降る → 雨に降られる, 泣く → 子どもに泣かれる, 来る → 友だちに来られる. The subject わたしは is usually left out.
§2Examples
電車の中で、となりの人に足を踏まれました。
でんしゃのなかで、となりのひとにあしをふまれました。
On the train, the person next to me stepped on my foot.
弟にケーキを食べられた。
おとうとにケーキをたべられた。
My younger brother ate my cake (and I'm not happy about it).
きのう、帰る途中で雨に降られました。
きのう、かえるとちゅうであめにふられました。
Yesterday, I got rained on on my way home.
どこで財布をとられたんですか。
どこでさいふをとられたんですか。
Where did you have your wallet stolen?
母に日記を読まれて、とても恥ずかしかったです。
ははににっきをよまれて、とてもはずかしかったです。
My mother read my diary, and I was very embarrassed.
夜、赤ちゃんに泣かれて、ぜんぜん寝られませんでした。
よる、あかちゃんになかれて、ぜんぜんねられませんでした。
The baby cried at night, and I couldn't sleep at all.
かばんは開いていたが、何もとられなかった。
かばんはあいていたが、なにもとられなかった。
My bag was open, but nothing was stolen from me.
忙しいときに友だちに来られて、困りました。
いそがしいときにともだちにこられて、こまりました。
A friend came over when I was busy, and it was a problem for me.
§3Common mistakes
- Making the thing the subject, as in English 'My foot was stepped on'. △ わたしの足はとなりの人に踏まれました → ○ わたしはとなりの人に足を踏まれました. In natural Japanese, the owner is the subject, and the thing or body part stays with を.
- Using this passive when you are glad about what the person did. ✕ 友だちに荷物を持たれました (when you mean your friend kindly carried your bags) → ○ 友だちに荷物を持ってもらいました. With を + passive, the listener will usually understand that you were troubled.
- Using the wrong particle for the doer or cause. ✕ 雨が降られました ✕ 弟がケーキを食べられました → ○ 雨に降られました ○ 弟にケーキを食べられました. The one who does the action takes に; が would make 弟 the person who suffers.
§4How it's different from similar grammar
- 〜てもらう (have someone kindly do)
- The sentence shape is almost the same ([person] は [doer] に [thing] を ...), but the feeling is opposite. 〜てもらう shows that you wanted the action and are thankful: 姉に髪を切ってもらいました (My older sister cut my hair for me, and I'm glad). The passive shows that you did not want it: 姉に髪を切られました (My older sister cut my hair, and I'm upset).
- Basic (direct) passive
- In the basic passive, the subject is the direct object of the active sentence: 先生がわたしを呼びました → わたしは先生に呼ばれました (I was called by the teacher). There is no を in the passive sentence, and the feeling can be good, bad or neutral. In the owner's and trouble passive, the subject is not the object of the verb. It is the owner of the thing (わたしは弟にカメラを壊されました: my brother broke my camera) or a person troubled by an event (雨に降られました), so を + thing can stay, and even verbs like 降る and 泣く can be used.
§5How this shows up on the JLPT
In grammar-form questions, the particle is the usual target: [doer] に + [thing] を + passive verb. If the blank comes after the thing (財布＿＿とられました), the answer is を; if it comes after the doer, it is に. Another type asks you to choose between 〜てもらいました and the passive, so look for feeling words such as 困りました, 恥ずかしかったです or うれしかったです. In sentence ordering, the usual order is [doer] に → [thing] を → passive verb. In listening, 〜に〜を〜られた tells you that the speaker is complaining, even when no word like 'bad' is used.
§6Quick check (3 questions)
1. Choose the best particle for the blank: わたしはどろぼうに新しいカメラ＿＿とられました。
わたしはどろぼうにあたらしいカメラ＿＿とられました。
2. A stranger took your picture without asking, and you did not like it. Which sentence fits this situation?
3. What does the speaker mean by 「ゆうべ、急に友だちに来られました」?
「ゆうべ、きゅうにともだちにこられました」