Passive voice Part 2: learn to speak Japanese naturally

In the last article, you mastered the basics of speaking in the passive voice. This skill is critical to speaking natural-sounding Japanese, so this article digs a little deeper. Japanese sentences are often formed so that the person receiving an action is the subject of the sentence. An example is “I was sent an email from Kanoko.” You will find that many Japanese sentences sound more natural in the passive voice. So, to speak Japanese well, you must be a master of the passive voice. In this Lower Intermediate Japanese article, learn even more about speaking Japanese in the passive voice. Find out how watashi (“action receiver”) becomes the subject of Japanese passive sentences. And learn when to use the passive voice in conjunction with vocabulary words to make your passive Japanese sound like second nature. This is an amazing lower intermediate Japanese article!

Vocabulary: In this article, you will learn the following words and phrases:

kakkoo – “figure, appearance, look”

o-dekake – “Go out”

tsukiau – “go out with, get along with”

torihikisaki – “customer, business partner”

motorcycle care – “ex-boyfriend”

furu – “throw”

motorcycle – “popular with the people”

Grammar: In this article, you will learn the following words and phrases:

Today’s grammatical point is the passive structure in which someone who receives an action becomes the grammatical subject of a sentence. As in today’s example below, watashi is the receiver of the action in the active voice, and we mark it with the indirect object marker particle neither. If the sentence is written in the passive voice, watashi becomes the subject of the award. Although it does not sound natural, the direct object of the active sentence, torihikisaki no hitoIt can be the subject of the passive sentence.

Today’s examples:

1. Active: Buchoo ga watashi ni torihikisaki no hito o shakeai shita. “The manager introduced me to one of our business partners.”
2. Passive: (Watashi wa) Buchoo ni torihikisaki no hito or shakeai sareta. “The manager introduced me to one of our business partners.”
3. Torihikisaki no hito or shakeai sareta. “The manager introduced me to one of our business partners.”

Training:

* Active: [A] wow [B] neither [C] oh — Of course.

* Passive: [B] wow [A] neither [C] oh — saroo.
 

For example:

Active: “My mother teaches me to cook.”

Passive: “My mother taught me to cook.”

We can mark the person who performs the action in a passive reward with Kara Prayed neither.

Examples:

1. Takeshi wa, Keiko ni mooningu kooru o tanonda. “Takashi asked Keiko for a wake up call.”
2. Keiko wa, Takashi ni mooningu kooru o tanomareta. “Keiko got a wake-up call from Takeshi.”
3. Shinji wa, sensei ni sansuu no shitumon o shita. “Shinji asked his teacher a math question.”
4. Sensei wa, Shinji ni sansuu no shitumon o sareta. “Shinji asked the teacher a question about math.”
5. Kanako wa, watashi ni meeru o okutta. “Kanako smells an email on me.”
6. Watashi wa, Kanako ni meeru or okurareta. “Kanako sent me an email.”