The Passive Voice (受身) in Japanese

The passive voice (受身, ukemi) in Japanese is formed by adding the suffix '-(r)areru' to the verb stem. For Group 1 (u-verbs), you change the final 'u' vowel to 'a' and add 'reru'. For example, 'yomu' (to read) becomes 'yomareru' (to be read). For Group 2 (ru-verbs), you replace 'ru' with 'rareru', so 'taberu' becomes 'taberareru'. The irregular verbs 'suru' becomes 'sareru' and 'kuru' becomes 'korareru'. The agent performing the action is marked by the particle 'ni'.

Japanese passive has a unique usage called the 'suffering passive' or 'adversative passive', which has no direct equivalent in English. In this construction, the subject is adversely affected by someone else's action, even when that action is not directed at them. For instance, 'Ame ni furareta' literally means 'I was rained on', expressing personal inconvenience caused by the rain. This makes Japanese passive richer in nuance than in many European languages. Mastering both the direct passive and the suffering passive is essential for reading literature and understanding spoken conversations.