5.3 Passive (受身) & Causative (使役) Verb Structures

Passive & Causative Verb Structures (受身 & 使役)

Core Principle: Japanese voice structures (態, tai) systematically transform a sentence's thematic focus, agency, and emotional tone. The Passive Voice (受身, ukemi) shifts focus to the recipient or victim of an action; the Causative Voice (使役, shieki) expresses making or letting someone do an action; and the Causative-Passive Voice (使役受身, shieki-ukemi) expresses being coerced or forced to do an unwelcome action. Mastering their conjugations and particle shifts is crucial for N4 Grammar and Reading Comprehension.

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1. Master Voice Conjugation Engine

Conjugating into passive, causative, and causative-passive follows rigid phonological rules based on verb classification.

Conjugation Summary & Contraction Rules:
1. Passive (受身):
   • Group 1: -a stem + れる (書く → 書か + れる)
   • Group 2: drop 〜る, add 〜られる (食べる → 食べ + られる)
   • Group 3: する → される, 来る → こられる

2. Causative (使役):
   • Group 1: -a stem + せる (書く → 書か + せる)
   • Group 2: drop 〜る, add 〜させる (食べる → 食べ + させる)
   • Group 3: する → させる, 来る → こさせる

3. Causative-Passive Contraction (使役受身の短縮形):
   • For Group 1 verbs, the long form 〜せられる contracts to 〜される (飲ませられる → 飲まされる).
   • EXCEPTION: Verbs ending in 〜す (like 話す, 出す) CANNOT contract because *話さされる is phonetically invalid. They MUST remain 話させられる.
   • Group 2 and Group 3 verbs NEVER contract (食べさせられる, させられる).

2. Deep Dive: Passive Voice (受身形 - Ukemi)

Japanese passive constructions fall into four distinct semantic categories:

1. Direct Passive (直接受身)

A straightforward transformation of a transitive active sentence where the recipient of the action becomes the grammatical subject.

• Active: 先生が山田さんを褒めました。 (The teacher praised Yamada.)
• Passive: 山田さんは先生に褒められました。 (Yamada was praised by the teacher.)
• Active: 犬が私の手を噛みました。 (A dog bit my hand.)
• Passive: 私は犬に手を噛まれました。 (I was bitten on the hand by a dog.)

2. Indirect / Suffering Passive of Possession (持ち主の受身)

When an external actor performs an action upon the subject's personal possession, body part, or family member, inflicting emotional or practical hardship upon the subject.

• Formula: [Victim: は] は [Actor: に] [Possession: を] [Passive Verb]
• 私は満員電車で誰かに足を踏まれました。 (I had my foot stepped on by someone on the crowded train.)
• 妹に私のケーキを食べられました。 (My younger sister ate my cake on me [to my annoyance].)
• 泥棒にパスポートを盗まれました。 (I had my passport stolen by a thief.)

3. Intransitive / Adversative Suffering Passive (迷惑受身 / 迷惑の受身)

In English, intransitive verbs (like "to rain", "to cry", "to die", "to come") cannot be made passive. In Japanese, intransitive verbs CAN be made passive to express that the subject suffered negative consequences or inconvenience from the event.

• 昨日、帰る途中で雨に降られて、びしょ濡れになりました。 (Yesterday, on my way home, I was rained on and got soaking wet.)
• 昨夜、隣の部屋の赤ちゃんに一晩中泣かれて、眠れませんでした。 (Last night, the baby next door cried all night [on me], and I could not sleep.)
• 忙しい時に友達に来られて、困りました。 (A friend came over right when I was busy, causing me trouble.)

4. Inanimate Subject / Public Passive (非情物の受身)

Used in news reports, history, and notices when discussing objective historical events, inventions, buildings, or global distribution where the human actor is generic or unimportant.

• この寺は400年前に建てられました。 (This temple was built 400 years ago.)
• 日本のアニメは世界中で見られています。 (Japanese anime is watched all over the world.)
• 会議は講堂で行われます。 (The meeting will be held in the auditorium.)

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3. Deep Dive: Causative Voice (使役形 - Shieki)

The causative voice indicates that the subject makes or allows another person (the causee) to perform an action.

Semantic Spectrum: Coercion vs. Permission

Depending on the context, social relationship, and verb nuance, the causative represents either:

1. Forced Action / Coercion (強制): "To make someone do"
   • 先生は宿題を忘れた学生を立たせました。 (The teacher made the student who forgot homework stand.)
2. Permission / Leniency (許可・容認): "To let / allow someone do"
   • 父は子供に好きなゲームを遊ばせました。 (The father let his child play their favorite game.)
3. Inducing Emotions (感情使役): "To cause an emotional reaction in someone"
   • 弟はテストで満点を取って、両親を喜ばせました。 (The younger brother got a perfect score, making his parents happy.)

The Strict Causative Particle Assignment Rules

Particle Alignment Rules for Causative Sentences:

1. When the Base Verb is INTRANSITIVE (自動詞: 行く, 走る, 立つ, 休む):
   • Causee is marked with を (or に if location/purpose already uses を).
   • Formula: [Causer: は] は [Causee: を] [Causative Verb]
   • Example: 部長は社員 を 走らせた。(The manager made the employee run.)

2. When the Base Verb is TRANSITIVE (他動詞: 食べる, 読む, 書く, 買う):
   • The direct object of the base verb MUST be marked with を.
   • To prevent a confusing "Double-を" (二重ヲ格) violation, the Causee MUST be marked with に.
   • Formula: [Causer: は] は [Causee: に] [Object: を] [Causative Verb]
   • Example: お母さんは子供 に 野菜 を 食べさせた。(Mother made the child eat vegetables.)

The Ultra-Polite Request Pattern: 〜させてください / 〜させていただけませんか

Attaching the te-form of the causative to ください or いただけませんか creates the standard Japanese formula for politely requesting permission for the speaker to do something:

• 気分が悪いので、今日は早く帰らせてください。 (I feel unwell, so please allow me to go home early today.)
• 自己紹介をさせていただけませんか。 (Could you please permit me to introduce myself?)

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4. Deep Dive: Causative-Passive Voice (使役受身形 - Shieki-Ukemi)

The causative-passive combines causative (使役) and passive (受身) to express forced compliance: the subject is forced, coerced, or pressured into doing an action against their own wishes.

Syntactic Structure & Meaning

• Formula: [Forced Subject: は] は [Coercer: に] [Object: を] [Causative-Passive Verb]
• Meaning: "[Subject] was made to do [Action] by [Coercer] (and disliked it / felt troubled)."

High-Yield Exam Scenarios

1. Childhood / Parental Discipline:
   • 子供の時、母に毎日野菜を食べさせられました。 (When I was a child, I was made to eat vegetables every day by my mother.)
2. Workplace / Social Obligations:
   • 昨日の飲み会で、部長に歌を歌わされました。 (At yesterday's drinking party, I was made to sing a song by the department manager.)
   • 先輩に重い荷物を持たされました。 (I was forced to carry heavy luggage by my senior.)
3. Waiting & Time Inconveniences:
   • 病院で2時間も待たされました。 (I was kept waiting for as long as two hours at the hospital.)

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5. Master Comparative Voice Summary Table

Mondai Tactics for Voice Questions

1. Identify the Subject (は/が) vs. Agent (に): If the subject is the victim experiencing distress, look for passive (〜れる) or causative-passive (〜させられる).
2. Count the を Particles: In causative sentences with transitive verbs, ensure the causee takes に and the direct object takes を.