Japanese れる・られる is arguably the busiest auxiliary verb — one form, four completely different meanings. Add the "adversative passive" and "causative-passive" variants, and that's six faces in total.
Conjugation Rules
| Verb Type | How to Conjugate | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 五段動詞 (Godan) | Irrealis form + れる | 書く → 書かれる |
| 一段動詞 (Ichidan) | Drop る + られる | 食べる → 食べられる |
| サ変動詞 (Suru) | する → される | 勉強する → 勉強される |
| カ変動詞 (Kuru) | くる → こられる | 来る → こられる |
Face 1: Passive (was done to)
The most basic usage — the receiver of the action becomes the subject:
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 私は先生に褒められました。 | I was praised by the teacher. |
| 台湾は他国から尊敬されている。 | Taiwan is respected by other countries. |
| 三田選手は百年来破られなかった記録を破った。 | Mita broke a record that had gone unbroken for a hundred years. |
Basic passive structure: A は B に ～れる/られる (A was [verbed] by B).
Face 2: Potential (can do)
れる・られる can also express ability or possibility:
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| この本は読めます。 | This book is readable. |
| お金を払えば、コンサートが聞けます。 | If you pay, you can attend the concert. |
Note: Godan verbs have a dedicated potential form (読む → 読める), so 読まれる is generally only passive. For Ichidan verbs, 食べられる can be either passive or potential — context determines which.
Face 3: Honorific (respectful language)
Expressing respect for the actions of superiors or elders:
先生はよく褒められます。 The teacher often praises (students).
The honorific form looks identical to the passive form. Distinguish by context: if the subject is "I being done to" → passive; if the subject is "the other person doing" → honorific.
Face 4: Spontaneous (naturally, involuntarily)
A feeling or thought arises naturally, without deliberate intent:
この歌を聞くと、昔のことが思い出されます。 When I hear this song, memories of the past come flooding back naturally.
The spontaneous usage typically pairs with psychological/emotional verbs like 思う, 感じる, and 偲ぶ, expressing "not deliberate, but arising naturally."
Face 5: Adversative Passive (迷惑被動)
A uniquely Japanese passive — using the passive form to express "being troubled or harmed by someone else's action":
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 忙しい時にアルバイトに休まれて困る。 | My part-timer took the day off when I was busy — I'm in trouble. |
| 隣の人に煙草を吸われて、気分が悪くなった。 | The person next to me was smoking, and it made me feel sick. |
| 目の前に大男に立たれて、景色が見えなくなってしまった。 | A big guy stood right in front of me, and I couldn't see the view anymore. |
Key characteristics of the adversative passive:
- The subject is the person affected (not the direct object of the action)
- Even intransitive verbs can become passive (休む → 休まれる)
- Carries a tone of "being troubled/harmed as a result"
Regular passive vs adversative passive: ケーキを食べられた can mean "the cake was eaten" (regular) or "someone ate my cake (and I'm upset about it)" (adversative).
Face 6: Causative-Passive (させられる)
"Being made to do something" — causative (making someone do) + passive (having it done to you):
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 私はみんなに怒られました。 | I was scolded by everyone. (adversative passive) |
| 子供の頃、毎日ピアノを練習させられた。 | As a child, I was forced to practice piano every day. (causative-passive) |
| とても感動させられた。 | I was deeply moved. |
Causative-passive construction:
- Godan verbs: 書く → 書かせられる (often shortened to 書かされる in spoken language)
- Ichidan verbs: 食べる → 食べさせられる
- Suru verbs: する → させられる
Causative-passive always conveys a feeling of "it wasn't my choice" — forced, compelled, with no say in the matter.
Summary Table of Six Faces
| Face | Meaning | Clue for Identification |
|---|---|---|
| Passive | Was done to | A は B に ～れる |
| Potential | Can do | Subject is a person + ability context |
| Honorific | Respectful language | Subject is a superior / elder |
| Spontaneous | Naturally, involuntarily | Psychological / emotional verbs |
| Adversative Passive | Was done to (causing trouble) | Subject is the affected person + trouble context |
| Causative-Passive | Was forced to do | させられる |
Summary
- れる・られる has four basic functions: passive, potential, honorific, spontaneous
- Godan verbs use れる; Ichidan/Suru/Kuru verbs use られる
- Adversative passive is a uniquely Japanese expression — even intransitive verbs can become passive
- Causative-passive = させられる, meaning "was forced to do something"
- Distinguishing the six faces relies mainly on context and subject
Self-Check Exercises
Q1. Which usage is されます in 「この歌を聞くと、昔のことが思い出されます」?
Show Answer
Spontaneous usage. 思い出す is a psychological verb, and here it means "memories come back involuntarily" — it's not that someone is making you remember (passive), but rather that hearing the song naturally triggers the memories.
Q2. Why can 休む (an intransitive verb) become passive in 「忙しい時にアルバイトに休まれて困る」?
Show Answer
This is the adversative passive. Japanese adversative passive doesn't require the verb to be transitive — as long as someone's action causes you trouble, even intransitive verbs can be made passive. 休む → 休まれる expresses "my part-timer took the day off, and I'm troubled as a result."
Q3. What feeling does 「毎日ピアノを練習させられた」 convey?
Show Answer
It conveys a feeling of "being forced / unwilling." させられる is the causative-passive — someone made me practice (causative), and I was on the receiving end (passive). The whole sentence means "I was forced to practice piano every day," with an undertone of reluctance or resignation.