うけみぶん

Passive voice 受身文

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1. There are two types of passive sentences in Japanese. One can be called “direct passive” and the
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other “indirect passive”. The direct passive is similar to the English passive. For every passive
sentence there is a corresponding active sentence. Look at the following sentence,
いちろう は なこ
(1) 一郎は花子にだまされた。
(Ichiro was deceived by Hanako)

The active version of this sentence is:

は なこ いちろう
花子は一郎をだました。
(Hanako deceived Ichiro)

As seen in sentence (1), in direct passive sentences, the direct object in active sentences is
presented as the subject; the subject in active sentences is presented as the agent and marked by
ni. Note that the verbs in direct sentences are always transitive.

2. When the speaker uses a direct passive sentence, he is making a statement from the viewpoint of
the receiver of the action. The agent is frequently omitted when he/ it is not important and/ or
unknown, as in the following sentences:

た
(2)このビルは２年前に建てられた。
(This building was built two years ago.)
しゅっぱん
(3)この本は１９６５年にアメリカで出 版 された。
(This book was published in America in 1965.)

3. The agent in direct passive sentences can also be marked by other particles, such as ni yotte and
kara.
(4) この絵はピカソによってかかれた。
(This picture was painted by Picasso)
はっけん
(5) Ｘ線はレントゲンによって発見された。
(X-rey was discovered by Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen)

Ni yotte, meaning “depending on; owing to; by means of”, is usually used in written
form or formal speech when X in X ni yotte is a sort of medium through which or whom
something is done. When ni yotte is used, X ni yotte is usually under strong focus.
 Therefore, the following sentences are unacceptable under normal circumstances.
(6) 私は花子によってぶたれた。
(I was hit by Hanako)
しごと お
(7) 川本さんはいつも仕事によって追われている。

(Mr. Kawamoto’s work always keeps him busy)

4. The other type of passive, the indirect passive, does not exist in English. The indirect passive is
different from the direct passive and the English passive in the following ways:
(A) The verb can be intransitive.
(B) The direct object can remain as the direct object:
は らだ おく たか こ と か
原田さんは奥さんに高いコートを買わされた。
(Mr. Harada’s wife bought an expensive coat (and he is unhappy).)

The indirect passive describes an event (X) involving an action by someone or something (Y)
which affects another person (Z). As in direct passive sentences, the subject (Z) has no control over
the event. Consider the following pair of sentences. (8), a non-passive sentence, states simply that
Taro drank Jiro’s beer. (9), an indirect passive sentence, however, expresses the idea that Jiro was
affected by Taro’s drinking beer. It implies that Jiro was annoyed in some way by Taro’s action,
perhaps because the beer Taro drank belonged to Jiro.
た ろう じ ろう び る の
(8) 太郎は次郎のビールを飲んだ。
(Taro drank Jiro’s beer)
(9) 次郎は太郎にビールを飲まれた。
(Jiro was annoyed by Taro’s drinking beer)
In the indirect passive construction, (Z) is usually presented as the topic, marked by wa and (Y) as
the agent marked by ni as seen in (9). Since in many situations (X) negatively affects (Z), this
construction is also referred to as “adversity passive” or “suffering passive”. However, whether (X)
affects (Z) negatively or positively depends on the situation. (Z) is not always a “victim”, as seen in
(10) where (Z) is affected positively.
たかやま び じん よこ すわ
(10) 高山さんは美人に横に座られてニコニコしている。
(Lit. Mr. Takayama, having a pretty woman sit beside him, is smiling happily.
(= A pretty woman sat beside Mr. Takayama and he is happy.) )