Japanese Passive Form ①～れる / ～られる
The passive form is used all the time in Japanese.
So if you want to understand natural Japanese—and eventually use it comfortably in conversation—this is one grammar point you definitely need to learn.
The Passive Form in Japanese ①
How to Form ～れます / ～られます
The passive form in Japanese is called:
受け身形（うけみけい / ukemikei）
Contents
In this lesson, we’ll learn how to form the passive using the polite ～ます form.
For example:
先生(せんせい)は私(わたし)をほめます。
The teacher praises me.
↓
私(わたし)は先生(せんせい)にほめられます。
I am praised by the teacher.
In Japanese, the person who receives the action becomes the focus of the sentence.
1. Group 1
For Group 1 verbs, look at the kana immediately before ます.
Change that kana from the い-row to the corresponding あ-row, and then add れます.
For example:
書きます → 書かれます
Look at the change:
書(か)きます
き（KI）→ か（KA）
書きます → 書か + れます
書(か)きます → 書(か)かれます
to be written
読(よ)みます → 読(よ)まれます
み（MI）→ ま（MA）
読みます → 読ま + れます
読(よ)みます → 読(よ)まれます
to be read
呼びます → 呼ばれます
び（BI）→ ば（BA）
呼びます → 呼ば + れます
呼びます → 呼ばれます
to be called
Group 1 Changes
For Group 1 verbs, change the kana before ます
like this:
い → わ
き → か
ぎ → が
し → さ
ち → た
に → な
び → ば
み → ま
り → ら
Then add:
れます
Group 1 Examples
★ These are common verbs you’ll often hear in the passive form.
言(い)います → 言われます
い（I）→ わ（WA）
to be told / someone tells me
聞(き)きます → 聞かれます
き（KI）→ か（KA）
to be asked / someone asks me
呼(よ)びます → 呼ばれます
び（BI）→ ば（BA）
to be called
誘(さそ)います → 誘われます
い（I）→ わ（WA）
to be invited
頼(たの)みます → 頼まれます
み（MI）→ ま（MA）
to be asked to do something
選(えら)びます → 選ばれます
び（BI）→ ば（BA）
to be chosen
Examples
友達にパーティーに誘(さそ)われました。
A friend invited me to a party.
先生に名前を呼(よ)ばれました。
The teacher called my name.
上司に仕事を頼(たの)まれました。
My boss asked me to do some work.
2. Group 2
★ Group 2 is much easier.
Remove ます and add:
られます
For example:
ほめます → ほめられます
to be praised
助(たす)けます → 助けられます
to be helped
見(み)ます → 見られます
to be seen / to be looked at
食(た)べます → 食べられます
to be eaten / to have something eaten by someone
Examples
先生にほめられました。
The teacher praised me.
友達に助(たす)けられました。
A friend helped me.
知(し)らない人にじろじろ見(み)られました。
A stranger kept staring at me.
3. Group 3
★ Group 3 verbs are irregular.
You simply have to memorize these forms.
します → されます
to be done
Verbs ending in ～します change in the same way.
質問します → 質問されます
to be asked questions
紹介します → 紹介されます
to be introduced
注意します → 注意されます
to be warned / to be told off
招待します → 招待されます
to be invited
来ます
来ます（きます） is also irregular.
来(き)ます → 来(こ)られます
Notice that the pronunciation changes:
きます（KIMASU）
↓
こられます（KORAREMASU）
来ます → 来られます
to have someone come / to be visited by someone, depending on context
★ One Form You’ll Hear All the Time:
言われます
One of the most important passive forms in everyday Japanese is:
言います → 言われます
Look at the change:
言います → 言われます
For example:
(わたしは)先生に「もっと勉強したほうがいい」と言われました。
The teacher told me, “You should study more.”
Another example:
友達に「日本語が上手になったね」と言われた。
A friend told me, “Your Japanese has gotten much better.”
This shows an important difference between Japanese and English.
Japanese vs. English
Japanese often uses the passive form when talking about something from the point of
view of the person who receives the action.
For example:
私は先生にほめられました。
polite
私は先生にほめられた。
casual
A literal translation would be:
I was praised by the teacher.
This is perfectly grammatical English.
However, in everyday English, it is often more natural to say:
The teacher praised me.
So even when Japanese uses a passive sentence, English may prefer an active sentence.
Look at This Example
Japanese
先生にもっと勉強したほうがいいと言われました。
The form used here is:
言います → 言われます → 言われました
A literal translation might be:
I was told by the teacher that I should study more.
That is correct English.
But in many situations, we would naturally say:
The teacher told me that I should study more.
or:
I was told that I should study more.
So depending on the context:
言われました = I was told / someone told me
Do not assume that every Japanese passive sentence must be translated into an English passive sentence.
Another Example
先生に名前を聞かれました。
The original verb is:
聞きます
き（KI）→ か（KA）
聞きます → 聞かれます
聞かれます → 聞かれました
A literal translation is:
I was asked my name by the teacher.
But a more natural English translation is often:
The teacher asked me my name.
or simply:
I was asked my name.
Again, Japanese uses:
聞かれました
but English does not always need to keep the same passive structure.
The Most Important Point
Do not think:
受け身 = English passive voice
in every situation.
Japanese often uses the passive form to show:
Who experienced or received the action?
So when you see:
言(い)われました
聞(き)かれました
ほめられました
誘(さそ)われました
don’t translate them word for word immediately.
First ask yourself:
What happened to this person?
まず覚えたい受け身形
Passive Forms You Should Learn First
These are some forms you’ll hear constantly:
言います → 言われます
I’m told / someone tells me
聞きます → 聞かれます
I’m asked / someone asks me
呼びます → 呼ばれます
I’m called / someone calls me
誘います → 誘われます
I’m invited / someone invites me
頼みます → 頼まれます
I’m asked to do something
選びます → 選ばれます
I’m chosen
ほめます → ほめられます
I’m praised / someone praises me
助けます → 助けられます
I’m helped / someone helps me
質問します → 質問されます
I’m asked questions
紹介します → 紹介されます
I’m introduced
✏️ Mini Practice
Change these verbs into the passive form.
1. 書きます
き（KI）→ ?
書きます → __________
2. 誘います
い（I）→ ?
誘います → __________
3. ほめます
ほめます → __________
4. 質問します
質問します → __________
Answers
1. 書かれます
2. 誘(さそ)われます
3. ほめられます
4. 質問(しつもん)されます
Next Lesson: 迷惑(めいわく)の受け身
Now you know how to form the Japanese passive.
But Japanese has another use of the passive that is especially interesting for English speakers:
弟にケーキを食べられました。🍰😩
Here:
食べます → 食べられます → 食べられました
This does not simply mean:
“My younger brother ate my cake.”
It can also express that the action affected me negatively, annoyed me, or caused me trouble.
This is a very important use of the Japanese passive that does not map neatly onto the English passive voice.
👉 Next: Japanese Passive Form ② | The Adversity Passive（迷惑の受け身）
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