Verb[れる・られる]
Meanings
- Was done to ~ by ~
- Done without consent
- Done to one's dismay
About this pattern
Explanation
This is the passive form in Japanese. It describes actions done to the subject by someone else, often emphasizing the experience of the action rather than the actor. In many cases it can express inconvenience or unwanted actions, or a change in the subject’s state caused by someone else. The two endings られる and れる reflect different levels of formality or colloquial usage, with られる being the standard, full form and れる appearing in more casual speech or certain verb groups. The choice between られる and れる depends on the verb type and style, but the core idea is the same: the subject is receiving the action. Typical contexts include being told something, having something done to you, or having an action performed by another person on your behalf.
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Example sentences
I was asked a question by the teacher.
That letter was read by my mother.
He ended up having his secret told by a friend.
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More N4 patterns
Or something; Any... (with question words); No matter (who)
View detailseasy to (do); likely to (happen); easy to be affected by
View detailsDifficult to; Hard to; Not easy to do something
View detailsGradually; Little by little; Step by step
View detailsmore and more; rapidly; increasing quickly; progressively
View detailsWe/They/You all (plural forms); These/Those (plural demonstratives); Plural suffix for certain pronouns and demonstratives
View details