Japanese Passive (Ukemi) — Conjugation, Uses & the “Suffering” Passive [JLPT N4]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

“The cat ate my fish (on me),” “I was praised by the teacher” — how to form and use the passive, with examples. (JLPT N4)

「先生に名前を呼ばれた」 — the passive form and “troubled by ~”

「私は先生に名前を呼ばれた」 (I had my name called by the teacher) — the passive form means “be ~ed, be affected by,” with the subject on the receiving end and the agent marked by 「に」. How: godan あ-row ＋ れる, ichidan ＋ られる. Japanese passive has a feature English lacks — the “adversative passive” (being troubled by something, e.g. 雨に降られた = got rained on, and bothered by it). This guide covers the passive's conjugation and use, especially that “troubled by ~” use. (The three types and に/によって have their own 〈passive〉 guide.)

Core: the subject is affected by an action

The passive = “the subject is affected by some action,” agent with 「に」:

• Direct passive: 私は先生に褒められた (I was praised by the teacher).
• Adversative passive (troubled): （私は）雨に降られた (got rained on, bothered); 隣の人に騒がれた (bothered by a noisy neighbor).

How: godan う-row → あ-row ＋ れる (呼ぶ→呼ばれる), ichidan drop る ＋ られる (食べる→食べられる).

Passive conjugation

See it in context

• 私は先生に名前を呼ばれた。(I had my name called by the teacher.) — direct passive
• 弟にケーキを食べられた。(My cake got eaten by my brother.) — adversative (harm)
• 雨に降られて、服が濡れた。(I got rained on and my clothes got wet.) — adversative passive
• この歌は多くの人に愛されている。(This song is loved by many.) — direct passive
• 満員電車で足を踏まれた。(I got my foot stepped on in a packed train.) — adversative

⚠️ Where learners slip up

① The agent takes 「に」. 先生に叱られた (scolded by the teacher; ✗ 先生が叱られた = someone else got scolded). “By whom” in a passive uses に (formal creating/building uses によって).

② Ichidan passive = potential — same form! 「食べられる」 can be “be eaten” or “can eat,” told by context (ケーキを食べられた = the cake got eaten／子供でも食べられる = even a kid can eat it). The easiest confusion.

③ Adversative passive: an English-less “troubled by ~.” 雨に降られた (got rained on, with a “bother/harm” feel), 子供に泣かれた (bothered by a child's crying). English doesn't say “got rained on” with a victim feel, but Japanese uses the passive to convey “this bothered me.”

🔄 Compare with similar forms: passive／causative／causative-passive

💡 The one thing to remember

Drill the passive conjugation first (godan あ-row ＋ れる, ichidan ＋ られる), then grab two points that trip up Chinese-background learners most: ① ichidan passive = potential, same form (食べられる, tell “be eaten／can eat” by context); ② the adversative passive — a concept English/Chinese lack, using the passive to convey “something happened and bothered me” (雨に降られた = got rained on, 財布を盗まれた = had my wallet stolen). The agent takes 「に」. For a deep dive on the three types (direct/indirect/natural) and 「に vs によって」, see the 〈passive〉 guide.

❓ Quick FAQ

Q: Is 「食べられる」 passive or potential?

Either — told by context — an ichidan verb's passive and potential are the same form (食べる→食べられる). 「ケーキを弟に食べられた」 = the cake got eaten by my brother (passive); 「辛いものも食べられる」 = I can eat spicy food too (potential). Look at the sentence: an agent (に) and “be ~ed” = passive; “have the ability” = potential. The classic ichidan confusion.

Q: What's the “adversative passive”? How do I grasp it?

The 「迷惑受身 (adversative/troubled passive)」 is a Japanese-specific use: the passive expresses “something happened and troubled me.” E.g. 雨に降られた (got rained on, “what rotten luck”), 子供に泣かれた (bothered by a child crying), 隣で騒がれた (bothered by noise next door). English doesn't say “got rained on” with a victim feel, but Japanese uses this passive to convey “this affected me, made things hard for me.”

🖊️ Practice Quiz

Q1. What is the passive form of 「話す」?

(A) 話される　(B) 話せられる　(C) 話された　(D) 話して

Q2. What does 「先生に叱られた」 mean?

(A) the teacher was scolded by me

(B) I was scolded by the teacher (subject = I, agent = teacher)

(C) the teacher scolded someone else

(D) I scolded the teacher

Q3. What characterizes the ‘adversative passive' (迷惑受身)?

(A) neutral (no emotional color)

(B) the subject is affected, usually with a negative feeling (trouble/harm)

(C) the subject is the doer

(D) used only for praise

Q4. What is the structure of 「猫に魚を食べられた」?

(A) subject = cat, the cat ate the fish

(B) subject = I (speaker); the fish was eaten by the cat, and the speaker is troubled (indirect passive)

(C) the fish ate the cat

(D) the speaker ate the cat's fish

Q5. How do you tell whether 「食べられる」 is passive or potential?

(A) you can't tell

(B) by the particle and context: 「猫に〜」 → passive (by the cat); 「すしが〜」 → potential (can eat sushi)

(C) by the verb type

(D) by the subject

Answer Key

1. (A) 話される ── godan す→さ ＋ れる: 話される.

2. (B) ── I was scolded by the teacher (subject = I, agent marked by に).

3. (B) ── the adversative passive: the subject is affected, usually with a negative feeling.

4. (B) ── subject = the speaker; the fish was eaten by the cat and the speaker is troubled (indirect/adversative passive).

5. (B) ── by the particle and context: 「猫に〜」 → passive; 「すしが〜」 → potential.

Full Passive Conjugation Table

Common Mistakes (Quick Reference)

Passive vs Causative vs Causative-Passive

More Examples: Direct Passive

• この映画は世界中の人に見られています。(This film is watched by people all over the world.)
• 彼女は先生に名前を呼ばれました。(She had her name called by the teacher.)
• 私の発表は多くの人に褒められました。(My presentation was praised by many people.)
• その曲はラジオでよく流されています。(That song is often played on the radio.)

More Examples: Adversative Passive

• 雨に降られて、服が濡れてしまった。(I got rained on and my clothes got soaked.)
• 子供に泣かれて、眠れませんでした。(The child kept crying, so I couldn't sleep.)
• 隣の人に席を取られた。(My seat was taken by the person next to me.)
• 夜中に電話をかけられて、困りました。(Someone phoned me in the middle of the night — a real nuisance.)