What does 受身形 mean?

Verb Passive-form. Example: 飲まれる、食べられる、される、来られる ([Passive-form] of drink, eat, do, come)

How do you form 受身形?

Group 1: -u -> -areru (書く -> 書かれる, 言う -> 言われる) / Group 2: -る -> -られる (食べる -> 食べられる) / する -> される / 来る -> 来られる (こられる). For verbs ending in う, the passive uses わ, not あ: 言う -> 言われる, 笑う -> 笑われる.

N4 Verb Forms

受身うけみ形けい: meaning, usage and examples

受身うけみ形けい means: Verb Passive-form.

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

How to form it

Group 1: -u -> -areru (書かく -> 書かかれる, 言いう -> 言いわれる) / Group 2: -る -> -られる (食たべる -> 食たべられる) / する -> される / 来くる -> 来こられる (こられる)

Examples

飲のまれる、食たべられる、される、来こられる
[Passive-form] of drink, eat, do, come
弟おとうとに部屋へやを使つかわれました。
My room was used by my younger brother.
Nuance note
This passive tells the listener you were bothered: your brother used your room and you did not like it. Japanese often uses the passive this way, for things done to you against your wishes.
電車でんしゃで足あしを踏ふまれました。
Someone stepped on my foot on the train.
この本ほんは多おおくの人ひとに読よまれています。
This book is read by many people.
授業じゅぎょう中ちゅうに先生せんせいに名前なまえを呼よばれました。
The teacher called my name during class.

When to use it

The passive form shows that the subject receives an action: 先生せんせいに呼よばれました (I was called by the teacher). The doer is marked with に. It is used to describe things that happened to you, often with the part affected marked by を (足あしを踏ふまれた), and for facts about things: この本ほんは多おおくの人ひとに読よまれています.

Nuance

Japanese has a "suffering" passive: something unwanted happened to you, even with intransitive verbs. 雨あめに降ふられた means "I got caught in the rain." So the passive often sounds negative. For a good action done for you, Japanese prefers てもらう or てくれる instead.

Compare

Passive vs てもらう: 先生せんせいに名前なまえを呼よばれた (the teacher called my name, neutral or unwelcome) vs 先生せんせいに説明せつめいしてもらった (the teacher explained it for me, welcome). Passive vs potential: for Group 2 and 来くる they look alike (見みられる can mean "be seen" or "can see"), so read the context.

Tip: For verbs ending in う, the passive uses わ, not あ: 言いう -> 言いわれる, 笑わらう -> 笑わらわれる.

More on this in Japanese passive and causative forms.

Frequently asked questions

What does 受身うけみ形けい mean?

Verb Passive-form. Example: 飲のまれる、食たべられる、される、来こられる ([Passive-form] of drink, eat, do, come)

How do you form 受身うけみ形けい?

Group 1: -u -> -areru (書かく -> 書かかれる, 言いう -> 言いわれる) / Group 2: -る -> -られる (食たべる -> 食たべられる) / する -> される / 来くる -> 来こられる (こられる). For verbs ending in う, the passive uses わ, not あ: 言いう -> 言いわれる, 笑わらう -> 笑わらわれる.