| As you know, in many cases the passive voice is | | | | iimashita. |
| preferred over the active in Japanese. In fact, it | | | | "My master said that I'll be taken to the White |
| would sound unnatural to say, "Ryan asked me to | | | | House." |
| go on a date." Instead, you would say, "I was | | | | Passive Voice When Referring to a Non-Specified |
| asked to go on a date by Ryan." This may seem | | | | Person |
| unusual, but you must be familiar with it because | | | | As in the example below, when the person doing |
| it's an integral part of the Japanese language. This | | | | an action is not a specific person, we generally |
| Lower Intermediate Japanese article focuses on all | | | | use the passive voice. In this case, the one doing |
| sorts of passive expressions. You'll learn how to | | | | the action may be a cook, who is not a specified |
| form natural-sounding Japanese sentences using | | | | person. So, the passive voice would be more |
| watashi as the subject. As a bonus, find out what | | | | natural. |
| the popular "troubled passive voice" is and how to | | | | |
| use it to show empathy. As always, apply the | | | | 1. Shimerarete, hane o torarete, oobun ni |
| Japanese in this Lower Intermediate Japanese | | | | irerareta, yakarete... |
| article to your life with the numerous examples | | | | "He will be strangled, have his feathers plucked, |
| and vocabulary words that you'll be able to use | | | | put in the oven, and then baked." |
| daily. | | | | 2. Active: |
| Vocabulary: In this article, you'll learn the following | | | | "A cook will strangle him, pluck his feathers, put |
| words and phrases:shichimenchoo- | | | | him in the oven, and bake him." |
| "turkey"sankusu gibingu - "Thanksgiving"kanshasai | | | | Troubled Passive Voice |
| - "Thanksgiving"kitai - "expectation"tsurete iku - | | | | Today's bonus has yet another example: the |
| "to take a living thing somewhere"tanoshimi - | | | | indirect passive voice, which we call "the troubled |
| "enjoyment, pleasure, looking forward to" | | | | passive." A direct passive voice has no easy |
| Shuppatsu - "leaving, departure"shimeru - "to | | | | English equivalent; however, it is similar in meaning |
| strangle"hane - "feather, wing"oobun - | | | | to the colloquial form "to up and do something to |
| "oven"roosuto taakii - "roast turkey"noojoo - | | | | me" (see example below). We use it to indicate |
| "farm"noofu - "farmer, peasant" | | | | that an (often negative) influence has had some |
| Grammar: In this article, you'll learn the following | | | | effect on the (usually human) subject. This |
| words and phrases: | | | | passive form is often called "the troubled passive" |
| Today's lesson focuses on various passive | | | | (meiwaku no ukemi) because we often use this |
| expressions. | | | | form when the speaker is showing empathy for |
| Active Voice vs. Passive Voice | | | | something that happened to the subject that is |
| In Japanese, sentences in which we use the | | | | outside of his/her realm of control. |
| speaker (watashi) as the subject, sound more | | | | Example of the Bonus: |
| natural. In the following cases, the passive voice is | | | | |
| more natural than the active voice. | | | | 1. (Watashi wa, shichimenchoo ni) nigerareta. |
| Today's Examples: | | | | "The turkey up and left me." |
| | | | More Examples: |
| 1. Kanshasai wa, kimi ga hiiroo da to go-shujin-san | | | | |
| ni iwarete imasu. | | | | 1. Boku wa, ame ni furarete, nurete shimatta. |
| Go-shujin-san wa, watashi ni kanshasai wa, kimi ga | | | | "I got rained on and wet." |
| hiiroo da to itte imasu. | | | | 2. Densha no naka de, kodomo ni nakarete |
| "I was told by my master that you were a hero | | | | komatta. |
| at Thanksgiving Day." | | | | "In the train, I was troubled because my kids |
| 2. (Watashi wa, go-shujin-san ni) Howaito hausu to | | | | cried." |
| iwaremashita. | | | | 3. Kanojo wa, musuko ni iede sareta. |
| "I was told that I'll be taken to the White House." | | | | "(I regret that) Her son left home. |
| 3. (Go-shujin-san wa, watashi ni) Howaito hausu to | | | | |