Shashin o toraremashita

In this lesson, we will learn how to transform verbs into their passive forms in Japanese. The passive form is used to indicate that the subject of the sentence is being acted upon by someone or something else. This is similar to the passive voice in English.

How to make?

u-verb

stem + “are” + masu(ru)

kaku >>> kakaremasu, kakareru
suku >>> sukaremasu, sukareru

irueru-verb

stem + “rare” + masu(ru)

taberu >>> taberaremasu, taberareru
akeru >>> akeraremasu, akerareru

or just remove u-sound from all verbs and aremasu or areru. 
Actually the passive form of irueru-verb is the same as the potential form of irueru-verb.

Exceptions

suru >>> saremasu, sareru
kuru >>> koraremasu, korareru

Conjugation and particle

All passive forms end with “eru”. It is irueru-verb.
So all the passive forms have the same conjugations as irueru-verbs.

kakare nai (kakaremasen)
kakare ta (kakaremashita)
kakare nakatta (kakaremasendeshita)

Most of the time in passive forms, the operator of action is expressed with “ni”. In English, it is expressed with “by”.
Sometimes it is replaced with “kara” and “ni yotte”. There are some rules, but it’s not mentioned in this lesson.

Expression

Satousan ga shashin o torimashita. >>> Satousan ni shashin o toraremashita. *shasihn = picture, toru = take

Nimotsu o kuukou ni wasuremashita. >>> Nimotsu ga kuukou ni wasureraremashita. *nimotsu = baggage, wasureru = forget

Suri ga saifu o torimashita. >>> Suri ni saifu o toraremashita. *suri = thief

kyonen ki o uemashita. >>> kyonen ki ga ueraremashita. *ki = tree

Exercise

Questions

Make the sentences into passive forms.

  1. Satousan ga omedetou to iimashita.
  2. Takusan no hito ga satousan no akaunto o foroo shimashita.
  3. Ano mise de yasai o utte imasu.

Answers

  1. Satousan ni omedetou to iwaremashita.
  2. Satousan no akaunto wa takusan no hito ni foroo saremashita.
  3. Ano mise de yasai ga urarete imasu.